Hi guys, welcome back to The Social Tune! My name is Fionn, and welcome back to a brand new edition of Musical McCool!
You know, I recently made the decision to move posting this series to a Sunday. There were multiple reasons for this - I'm busier on Fridays than I was back in January and I write better nice and awake as opposed to after a long day of work - but the main one was just in case I came across a week that was a little busier, where it would take me a while to gather all my thoughts.
Well... even with that, I was not prepared for this! When I started this endeavor, I specifically stuck to the top 50, partly to be relevant, but also because I knew how much more work a full Hot 100 would be to discuss every week, even before the Homegrown charts! Well, turns out that the relative quiet of the past few weeks finally caught up to me, because this week was a fuc-king implosion! It's insane how busy this was, across the board, where not 1 category was quiet or uneventful, instead all coming to a head at once!
The Top 10
So much so that Olivia Rodrigo's album bomb was almost just a footnote!
And yet, I'd be remiss not to humbly apologise for scorning her marketing team, because this week they made history together! good 4 u held onto the number 1 spot...
... deja vu sprung all the way up to number 2...
... and if that weren't enough, traitor debuted at number 3! Yes, Sour was THAT level of big here! This is the first time a female artist has ever held the top 3 spots of this chart at once, an honour only shared with Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran! And if it weren't for the fact that the Official Irish Charts only allow 3 songs by an artist to populate the charts at any one time (mainly to mitigate the effect of the album bombs that you see on Billboard), the entire album would likely be in the top 20! ... And again, this was barely a footnote in this week's madness!
It almost feels pointless to spell it out, but Body by Russ Millions & Tion Wayne was easily forced back to number 4.
As was Kiss Me More by Doja Cat and SZA, falling back to number 5. Although based on radio numbers, that may change for it very soon.
Wish I could say the same for MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Nas X, forced down to number 6. This in particular stings quite a bit, as Olivia's nuke may have killed its remaining momentum ahead of schedule.
And speaking of nukes, hello BTS fandom! Yup, we also saw Butter debut at number 7, because this band has fans everywhere and there's no escape for any of us!
Now, in spite of the turmoil at the very top, this week also saw a few songs surge up in the wake of other longtime hits dropping HARD! This leads us to Little Bit Of Love by Tom Grennan FINALLY breaking through at number 8. However I may feel about the song, it's been on the outskirts of the top 10 for so long now that my OCD could barely take it any longer!
To my amazement, one song we did NOT lose this week was Friday by Riton, Nightcrawlers & Mufasa, stubbornly dragging its heels at number 9. Considering what got moved to ACR this week, this song's vitality is getting a little ridiculous!
Lastly, to my surprise at least, we have another top 10 debut: Our Song by Anne-Marie & Niall Horan! Look, I know this is mainly here for her rather than for him, but seeing Niall here still makes me so goddamn happy! Can we just keep him here for a bit, regardless of the song's quality?
Top 50: The Punished and the New
Oh gods... this was a complete massacre, I barely even know where to start!
Well, I suppose we'll start with the movers to ACR, of which there were more than ever before:
Bed by Joel Corry, RAYE & David Guetta - number 6 to 21
Save Your Tears by The Weeknd - number 5 to 22
Heat Waves by Glass Animals - number 9 to 30
Peaches by Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar & Giveon - number 10 to 33
Your Love (9PM) by ATB, Topic & A7S - number 17 to 36
My Head & My Heart by Ava Max - number 23 to 48
Like I said, lot of felled titans this week, and that's not even counting the complete exit from the top 50 of GOOSEBUMPS by HVME, Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, Hold On by Justin Bieber, and more!
In terms of other losses outside of the biggest ones, we saw the drop-off of J. Cole's singles, with p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l with Lil baby falling to 24, m y . l i f e with 21 Savage and Morray to 25, and a m a r i to 32. Otherwise the only other major losses were for Paradise by MEDUZA & Dermot Kennedy stumbling back to 49 and Titanium by Dave to 50; still surprised it took that last one so long to exit.
Weirdly enough though, as I said before, this week also saw a lot of rises across the top 50, as weaker songs saw a sudden surge in the wake of all of these drops. You'll notice I didn't mention The Business by Tiësto... because IT rose up to 11! AGAIN! We also saw a huge radio push for Good Without by Mimi Webb, a song that I only expect to get bigger in the next month or so. And, sadly for me, it looks like the same applies to Build A Bitch by Bella Poarch, which rose up to number 23! Please no, I don't know if I could deal with this gaining traction outside of streaming. At least we also saw some well-deserved success for Black Hole by Griff as well, rising up to 34.
In terms of returning entries, we only had 1... from about 2 years ago, it's What A Time by Julia Michaels & Niall Horan. Even as a fan of him, I still don't love this one, it's only here because of a combination of the release of the music video (minus one Niall) and that new Anne-Marie hit. And again, with so many hits dropping and exiting, and with the occurrence of a little something called "Eurovison", this meant that we had a record-breaking amount of new entries! So sit back and scroll, cause this is gonna go on for a while, starting with:
Title: traitor by Olivia Rodrigo
Position: #3
So Sour by Olivia Rodrigo dropped last week and seemingly took over the whole world. Again, my apologies for underestimating her marketing team, because it easily debuted at number 1 by a huge margin. And it's not hard to see why, as it taps into a very raw and unrefined type of post-break-up angst where the emotional response and top-notch production overrides a lot of people's critical receptors, especially with the multiple genre fusions and experiments across the album.
That being said, I've had a recurring criticism for all of her singles up to now, and traitor is no exception. See, like it or not, this feels like it was written by a teenager, and thus there is a dangerous balance being maintained between charmingly amateurish and embarrassingly twee. And traitor tows that line more than most, because it bring melodrama into the mix! Now, I won't lie, Olivia delivers the song really well, outlining in really fine detail how quickly her ex seemed to move on after they broke up. How even when they were dating, she suspected he had his eyes on this other girl. And how he basically moved on with no thought for how she would feel about it, and she knows he'll never see himself as being in the wrong. That is rough, and a situation I think a lot of her audience can sadly relate to. But... look, I get all that, but calling him a traitor as the big finishing line of the hook, and starting off that same hook by saying you were betrayed, it just feels a bit too clumsy and heavy-handed to me. I get that emotions are running high, but to me there's no line here that cuts as deep as the Billy Joel journey outlined on deja vu, and it's too mellow to match the explosive sarcasm of good 4 u. It just feels like a B-side to me, especially when placed in between the 90s alt-rock crunch of brutal and the more subtle hurt of drivers license.
Still a good song, mostly for the slow synth keys, echoing percussion and again, Olivia's fantastic delivery, but the line between corny and emotional is VERY blurred here. Still proud of her for her impressive success, I just wish that we had got one of the other songs off the album at number 3 instead.
Title: Butter by BTS
Position: #7
Apart from Boy With Love and Dynamite, this is the first BTS song in a while that I think may have a genuine shot at becoming a hit. Between the massive YouTube reception and impressive streaming numbers, the song is set to debut high worldwide, and it taps into a style of neo-funk that has been perpetually kept alive by acts like Bruno Mars for the past 4-5 years now. And... it's really a mixed bag.
The Usher line is ridiculous, and the gummy percussion is fake as all Hell. and that keyboard/sax line is so synthetic it hurts me. But hey, I'm also a bit of a sucker for this kind of stylistic flexing, and the boys have the charisma to back up most of it here. It's just such a shame it's not produced better, and the rap verse from RM at the end just tips the scales a bit too far one way for me.
Could be worse, but this isn't good, and I sincerely hope that if this is the direction BTS wants to go in next, they bring in some fucking organic instruments. Because with this particular genre, raw presence will only get you so far.
Title: Our Song by Anne-Marie & Niall Horan
Position: #10
Right, well, let's start off by stating the obvious: this is a COMPLETE rip-off of Lights Down Low by MAX & gnash from 2016! Seriously, it's not even subtle, the second I heard this it immediately sprung to mind! That being said... man, 2021 is really making me reconsider my dislike of Anne-Marie, because between Don't Play and this, I am LOVING her track record recently!
Look, this isn't an unbelievable song by any means. It's your standard post-break-up duet where a song on the radio reminds you of the person you used to be with. But... I dunno, maybe it's Niall's co-writing credits, but the story feels more fleshed-out than usual. For one, both of our singers spend their verses outlining how they've actually moved on with their lives and are content and happy. But whenever that one song plays on the radio, they can't help but feel nostalgic and think of each other.
It's that kind of attention to detail that made Heartbreak Weather one of the best albums of last year. And paired with some fairly good harmonies and production, this actually turns into kind of a great little pop song. Nothing flashy or groundbreaking, but that's never who Niall has been, and I even feel comfortable giving Anne-Marie her props too. Who knows, maybe Therapy will actually be good. At the very least it'll be better than Speak Your Mind, thank Christ for that.
Title: Zitti e Buoni by Maneskin
Position: #14
Okay, let's start this...
So Eurovision happened. I'm sure many of you tuned in to enjoy the spectacle, but it's just not something that has ever appealed to me personally. I know it should be right up my alley, but while I can appreciate the competition, I think I'm just to critical to really enjoy it fully. It's not them, it's definitely me. And also Ireland's entry sucked this year, I'm sorry, it has to be said!
So, our first song today actually won the damn thing. Congrats Italy on your big win, especially when you initially qualified due to the will of the people! ... Sorry, that sounded condescending, I just love a great underdog story. I dare say it deserves it too, cause the song is actually pretty great. I mean sure, it's in Italian, which I don't speak a word of, but I know a good hard rock guitar when I hear it! And Damiano David is selling the ever-loving shit out of it, easily switching between a more smooth delivery on the first couple of verses, before absolutely tearing loose on the hook and pre-chorus! And while the guitar work is certainly impressive, the real unsung hero is the percussion, with real drums and cymbals that sound AWESOME! Seriously, it's been so long since I've hear a song with this much rock'n'roll energy scrape the top 50, let alone the top 20!
Add to that the cathartic lyrics, criticising an older generation who are so quick to dismiss their kids' opinions, and this really does hit home! And all of this for a song that was written all the way back in 2016, but took this long to get finished and entered. And it more than paid off, because this fucking RULES! Deserving winners, kickass song!
Title: Heartbreak Anthem by Galantis
Position: #17
Wow, between this and Bed, David Guetta is getting really good at keeping out of the way. And while last time he was kept in check by Joel Corry, this time he's paired with Galantis, who is no stranger to dancefloor hits in the UK. And for our vocalists of the day, it's Little Mix again, still going strong without Jesy. And much like their last couple of efforts, they give me no reason to be worried.
Sure, I miss Jesy's lower harmony which tended to ground the mix of voices, but between the elegant strings, the stabbing piano line, Jade handling the verses, and Leigh-Anne and Perrie nailing the pre-chorus and hook before they all swarm in for the main harmony, I still find it hard to criticise the excellent performances they continue to deliver!
If anything, my only complaint might be the lyrics. If you have the time to write a song about your heartbreak, it's a heartbreak anthem, no matter how many smiles you put on it, otherwise it wouldn't be worth writing a song about. Still, the bright melodies are so solid that I find it hard to overanalyse this. Not amazing, but in a year of pretty great mainstream pop music, this is still a very respectable B.
Title: Sun Goes Down by Lil Nas X
Position: #35
Huh... remember how I said that Lil Nas X was really starting to unlock his full potential with MONTERO? Well, I stand by that, but I'll also acknowledge that it still fit his style. It was still quirky and weird, and took a very interesting and brazen approach to its writing and production. This, on the other hand?
Look, I could actually see a lot of critics preferring this to MONTERO, and I do see why. It's the vulnerable song about his come-up, growing up filled with insecurities, as well as a loving thank you to the fans who made him face those fears and take that leap of faith. And it is good, with the pretty pop-trap instrumental, the twinkling melody, and the fragile but effective tone of voice on the hook. However, it just doesn't feel particularly like him. This brand of naked sincerity is just so different that I honestly feel a bit blind-sided by it, and I'm not yet sure how well it works.
Time will tell, I expect this will grow on me, but while I appreciate this and find it sweet, it doesn't really seem to have the staying power of his last big hit. probably the reason why this didn't debut higher. Still worth a listen though, check it out.
Title: SHUM by Go_A
Position: #37
Every year, there's at least one Eurovision entry that was clearly made as critic-bait. Something that's just plain weird and unorthodox, where the judges are charmed more by the novelty than anything else. And personally, that's where I think Ukraine's entry for this year falls into. Don't get me wrong, none of this means it's bad. If anything, it really is interesting, a blend of techno, darkwave and folk vocals that is oddly hypnotic, especially with that eerie flute matching the ethereal voices. And the way they play with the tempo, where the song gets faster and faster after each hook, is certainly an interesting choice, and does give the song some distinctive character.
All of that aside though, this just isn't a blend of genres that remotely appeals to me. It feels very repetitive, and the sped-up effect felt more like a gimmick with each listen. Not that I would ever go so far as to call it bad, but it just feels so bland to me now. Sorry Ukraine, this wasn't your year in my eyes... or my ears, whatever.
Title: 10 Years by Daði Freyr
Position: #38
Iceland, you're up next! This time it's Daði Freyr and his band Gagnamagnið, who have been active since 2012, hence why this song is called "10 years". As you'd expect, it's a love song that could double as a love letter to their own fans for their success. It's essentially their version of The Beatles' It's Getting Better, only without the existential dread in the subtext of the track.
And maybe it's because of that lack of darker context that this feels so... goofy. I know that that's mostly on purpose, even playing into the joke with those overly-dramatic opening strings, but once that bassline comes in, the entire song turns into the kind of comedic throwback disco that pretty much killed the genre in the late 70s/early 80s. It's very catchy, but otherwise impossible to take seriously, especially with the exaggerated voices they keep putting on.
And yet, I do kind of find it charming. maybe it's the 70s guitar, maybe it's the chipper tone, maybe it's just that unforgettable melody, but I get a big smile on my face whenever this comes on. I haven't been following this band's career for the past decade, and even I can feel the genuine joy behind this. It doesn't take itself seriously, but that doesn't mean it's not sincere. I can't help but enjoy this, I don't think it could have won, but I'm glad it did as well as it did... on the other hand:
Title: Volià by Barbara Pravi
Position: #40
Look, like it or not, Eurovision is all about spectacle, and France's entry this year played it surprisingly safe, with a straightforward piano ballad with touches of classical strings. It's very classic and proper, especially with the tasteful plucks at the double bass, and let's not deny that Barbara Pravi has an amazing voice. I know that this is a song contest rather than a singing one, but the poise and elegance to this is still damn near jaw-dropping, it's no wonder it won over both the judges and the audience to end up in the final.
Now all of that still doesn't mask the fact that this song is just as critic-baiting as Ukraine's entry, if not even more so. It's a song from the perspective of the singer, where she spells out how she's laying herself bare, at the mercy of her audience. Not knowing whether or not she'll be able to keep going until she sees their reaction, as she presents herself for our scrutiny, voilà! It's really on the nose, and if it weren't for the beauty of the song, I would probably be quick to judge it for that. But it's just so damn pretty and poised that it's impossible not to respect, and it's played so straight and earnest that it's ALMOST impossible for me not to be snarky toward it.
All I can say us that this is the best that France has done since the early 90s, and it's not hard to see why. Beautiful track, deserving of praise.
Title: Gang Gang by Polo G & Lil Wayne
Position: #42
It has to be said, Polo G's next album rollout has been going really well, made even more impressive by the fact that he's been doing it all from his own label in collaboration with Columbia Records. And while this isn't quite making the same widespread impact as Rapstar, I think him getting Lil Wayne for this track was an inspired choice. After all, if there's one older MC that has the respect of his piers and the new cats, it's this man, and I personally think he's been on a bit of a hot streak for the past couple of years.
That all being said, this song is pretty much exactly what you'd expect, with a downtempo, mildly tropical trap beat, and Polo G and Wayne each taking a verse where they flex about their skills, girls and gangbanging with some fairly decent wordplay. I actually think their flows here are very impressive, and that Wayne didn't let himself be outdone, instead choosing to match the energy Polo G started out with.
Still though, it doesn't sound nearly a gritty as I would have liked based on that title, and the elongated sing-song syllables aren't helping either. More than that, I sort of wish there was just more of a hook to this, it just feels a bit short and mildly by-the-book as is. Not quite bad, but I can still see why this isn't doing Rapstar numbers in spite of the good performances.
Title: Mask by Dream
Position: #43
Someone made the point on Twitter recently about Masked Wolf's Astronaut In The Ocean: "just because it's a song about mental illness doesn't make it a good song." Well, that same principle applies to this new song from Minecraft YouTuber Dream. who dropped this song in light of Mental Health Awareness Month. It's a song about wearing a smile to hide the feelings that are really going on inside,
And look, I am fully sympathetic toward Dream for his struggles with depression, and if he wants to express that to his fans through the medium of music, I'm all for it. But this is a critical blog, and as such, I have to be honest and say that this doesn't work for me at all on a musical level. It's like Lonely by Justin Bieber; no matter how real the singer's emotions may be, the execution matters. And just like with that song, I keep getting distracted from the earnest delivery because of the way this sounds!
I hate the production watermark and the far too chipper guitar across this, and while Dream's trying his best, he's not a singer or a songwriter, and both of those facts are abundantly clear here! From the embarrassingly basic cadence, to the incredibly basic and/or forced rhymes, to his caterwauling that sounds like a bad Juice WRLD impression... Say what you will about Kid Laroi and HIS whiny singing, but he has way better melodic instincts. This just doesn't feel like it's ready for the bigtime, it's the kind of thing you write and scrap at age 14!
All the best again to Dream, it's really sad that he felt the need to write this at the young age of 21, but this just isn't any good, no matter how real it may be. Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge traitor's writing after all...
National Treasures
Oh boy... if you thought we were done just because we got through the top 50, think again! Because we had 7 new entries to the Homegrown chart, only one of which we've discussed so far!
At the top is our new number 1, Our Song by Anne-Marie & Niall Horan; once again, for a song to make this chart, all it needs is one Irish performer, and that's what Niall's presence here has done. As such, it forced the already weak hold of LA House Party by Picture This back down to number 2. And even with the new slew of hits, it says something that Maps by Leslie Roy was forced back ON EUROVISION WEEK to number 5! Once again, baffling choice to let this represent the country, thank goodness it's on its 13th week anyway!
However, even it didn't lose as hard as We Are The People by U2 and Martin Garrix, falling back down to number 6; guess Eurovision beats football. In less good news, it also forced down Obito by Offica to number 10, as well as Break My Heart by JC Stewart and The Killer Was A Coward out of the top 10 altogether.
Let's also wish a solemn and respectful goodbye to CMAT, as I Don't Really Care For You reaches its 13th week as well. This song made history by going to number 1 on the homegrown chart, and even cracked the top 50, all while being one of the best songs to be released this year, mad props for that! And now, let's start slogging through our remaining new entries:
Title: All That I Do by Michael Moloney
Position: #3
You know, I'm surprised it's taken me this long to talk about Michael Moloney, the young teen from Donegal probably best known for his appearance alongside Dermot Kennedy on the Late Late Show last year. However, it appears his ambitions stretch beyond that, as he spent the past few months honing his craft and putting together his official debut single. And as an interesting change of pace, he decided to compose it using piano, rather than his favored instrument, guitar.
And look, the kid's only about 15, so I'm inclined to take it a little easy on his voice. It's not incredible, but that will mature and change with time, kind of reminding me of a younger Shawn Mendes. And I applaud the choice to release this single on the anniversary of his dad's death, it's a really sweet tribute. The lyrics don't pull any punches, as he sings about his dad still being with him despite the pain. It's very plain-spoken and earnest, but it also takes the time to evoke some nice imagery centered around nature and the weather. This is grief writing 101, and while it may remind me of a certain brand of Christian rock, it still manages to be genuine enough to win me over. If anything, I sort of wish he'd gone a bit more organic. While the piano is nice, it's a shame that all the other instruments, including the drums, feel oddly muted and synthesised. It just takes some of the teeth out of the hurt and pain of the song, and while this is certainly a daring debut, and I absolutely expect him to improve with time, it's just a bit too polished to really hit me. Good effort, but needs some work.
Title: Terminal 1 by Versatile
Position: #4
Then again, I'll take 10 of whatever Michael Moloney puts out over these assholes any day! I had a visceral reaction to their last hit Babyproof in the worst possible way, as it's comfortably one of the most repulsive songs released so far this year. And thus, I was not looking forward to getting another hit so soon from this Ringsend duo. However... I can't lie, this isn't bad.
Remember how I said BTS' attempt at disco felt far too synthetic and relying too much on raw charisma? Well, much as it pains me to admit, Versatile do a way better job at it here! The bass has some nice bounce to it, the keyboard is bright and jaunty, and even the sample choice is really damn solid. And while the lyrics are filthy, both sexually and just in general, these 2 assholes do have the charisma to deliver it well. Sure, they're not good guys by any means and their language may be fouler to the average bling rapper, but the wordplay's good and they're convincing in the role of 2 players looking forward to travelling again this Summer.
I dunno, maybe it's the fact that this lockdown has me itching for Summer like never before, but this struck a chord inside me. And as much as these lads are still assholes here, they somehow come out being way more likeable to me here than they were on their last single. Does it make that song any better? Hell no, if anything it makes me hate it more! But this, I can appreciate. Not bad, boys.
Title: Paradise by James Vincent McMorrow
Position: #9
James Vincent McMorrow is back again this week, and with yet another change of pace... and sadly it might be his worst one yet this year.
Look, I've accepted that I will never love this man's music, no matter how much I respect it. It's just to drab for me, when it's not being too electronically heavy to work as folk music. But say what you will about Waiting being too "simple" or stripped back, at least it was still going for an emotional chord I could resonate with. Whereas this reminded me why I have a history of disliking songs called "Paradise".
See, this is more along the lines of what James has been doing for the better part of the past decade, combining folk and electronica, except here the balance is a little... off. It's written as a folk song, but the production is filled with synthetic elements; that on its own isn't enough to make a bad song, but unfortunately this has the added ingredient of layering his voice with a gummy film that's truly ugly. Even worse is the hook, where a child choir gets added into the background to harmonise with his falsetto. And all of that for what? A love song using the tired metaphor of paradise to drive home the romance? no, I'm sorry, this doesn't work for me at all. Dermot Kennedy and MEDUZA just barely got away with it, but I'm not about to make the same exception for this.
Title: Wicked Tongues by Kojaque
Position: #14
Well, this is a different move from Kojaque: a love song. More accurately, a song where he reflects on love's wicked ways, specifically when it comes to falling in love too quickly. He observes his own behaviour when trust doesn't get built gradually, getting jealous and suspicious over nothing. It's a mind game that he's played with himself many times, and I really appreciate his honesty here!
But that's what I've come to expect from Kojaque. Between this, the title track and No hands, Town's Dead is one of the most hyped and anticipated albums in Ireland at the moment, and frankly, I can't wait for it to get here. This may be one of the lighter cuts I've heard so far, lacking the energy of Town's Dead or the strong gutpunch of No hands, but it still shows a level of maturity and sophistication that makes me so happy I came across this guy.
And with elements of jazz and neo-soul in the production, he just keeps surprising me. Looking forward to when that project drops man, you haven't missed yet!
Title: American Beauty by Biig Piig
Position: #18
*sigh* You know, Irish public, if you're going to claim to be Biig Piig fans, why not highlight her collab with Emotional Orange from a month or 2 ago? Yes, I know I keep harping on about that, but Body & Soul is such a good song, dammit!
Anyway, on to the song we did get, off of her new EP The Sky Is Bleeding... and wow, that's not what I was expecting. For one, it combines soft rock guitars with percussion straight out of a drum-and-bass song. And yet once that rougher guitar kicks into the hook, this almost becomes a mid-2000s rock song, with beautiful minor keys that evoke a dark, somber feeling. The tone of the instrumental here honestly reminds me of a more low-key Linkin Park song, even if the vocals are anything but.
Now lyrically, the song is fairly simple, a love song to an American beauty, promising to hold her tight and listen in a way she's not used to. basically, he's shining about being able to offer this person something special, a chance at real loving care. Simple, yes, but the hushed delivery, and the way it then transitions to that echoing americana outro, it really does vault the song up to a whole new level. So yeah, if this is the single that Jessica Smyth wants to grace us with next, who am I to complain? Check this out, and that new EP too, well worth it!
Title: 2023 by Róisín O
Position: #19
And last but certainly not least, we get the grand return of Róisín O to the charts. I can hardly believe it's been over 3 months since we last discussed her on this series, but at long last she's back with a new single. And unlike Heart & Bones, this is less of a classic use of her vocals, abandoning the usual ballad structure to instead go for a more pop-friendly song. And so, it only makes sense that she should recruit Phil Magee, who has worked with acts like The Academic, Wild Youth, Kodaline and more!
And initially, I was a bit worried about this. Róisín's best asset is that voice, and the problem with going for those piano-driven, polished pop songs is that the vocals tend to either get buried or just become a conduit for the lyrics. However, credit to Phil, he seemed to recognise this, placing her vocals at the front of the mix, which anchors her very nicely in the swirling pop mix.
I really like how the song starts out like a more traditional Róisín song, before the groove kicks in to support the piano in the build-up to the hook. It's an uplifting song about musing on a relationship, wanting to reignite the spark before it fades altogether. After all, they were so happy back in 2017, and if they don't work at it, where will they be in 2023? It's so unabashedly earnest, and the gusto behind "Just enough was never us" really pushes it over the top for me. Not complex, not overly ambitious, but just another damn good pop song! Great job , more of this please!
And that's our week, hope you all enjoyed! WHEW, that went on forever, hope you can see now why this was a tad later than usual. Anyway, please feel free to like the post and share any feedback in the comments, let me know what you thought. Make sure you and your friends subscribe to the blog and follow me on Twitter to keep up with these releases! Take care everyone, and until the next time, I'm Fionn and this is The Social Tune, signing off!