Shawn Hook and Naughty Boy

Today I have some music for you that is new and fresh and totally not completely surfaced. This song is by the Canadian singer Shawn Hook, He has been in the music industry for a while, but only recently really made himself known. And I totally don't mean that in a rude way at all. I am just saying that he made that break through recently. And thank god he did because he has so much talent to offer. There are so many things about this song that make it something that I can listen to all the time. To start with, Shawn Hook has such a beautiful voice. It is a smoother and higher pitched voice, one that is meant to soar in the falsetto range. And Shawn Hook definitely makes use of those falsettos. In fact the entire chorus is done in that high range voice, but his voice does not crack or fade or lose sustenance. It remains just as strong and powerful. And throughout the song, he is able to show off his different vocal capabilities by doing the harmonies and verses all on his own while also playing piano. Shawn Hook has this wonderful vibrato to his voice as well, something subtle, but when it is there you can hear that tenderness. You can hear that softness, and for this song, it comes off as a little bit of a quiver. And I love that because of what the song was created for and the meaning of the song. That ever so slight shakiness adds so much vulnerability to the end of the song, which is a stark contrast to the rest of the song. Next up, the percussion section. Oh boy, did they take it and run with it. Which is so spectacular because while the percussion dominates the song, it does not overpower the rest. The percussion in this song varies from drums to tambourine, and gives the song a very unique feel. True to the name of the song, the percussion gives the song a heartbeat. It gives the song a constant pulse, a rhythmic thump, that resembles that of the beating heart. Surprise surprise to hear that and then revisit the name of the song. But it is so cool how that seems to be the main source of instrumentals aside from the piano. Which brings me to my next point. Shawn Hook's piano work is so great because it is not classical at all. He takes on that pops and slightly jazzy style of piano playing and knocks it out of the park. You can tell that he is the kind of musician who passionately plays, and may even be notorious for banging on the piano keys. But it is just so full of power and emotion and passion and pain all thrown in one and that is simply splendid. I am a huge fan and I cannot wait to keep listening to more of Shawn Hook's music. Today's instrumental song is a version of a popular song by another artist who started coming into the spotlight. Naughty Boy had a big hit out with Sam Smith, bringing both artists into the spotlight. This song got very popular, and I thought the way this song felt and sounded was similar to the first. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!