James Arthur and The Last Samurai

Today I have some music for you by an incredible solo artist out of the UK. James Arthur was the winner of the X Factor a few years ago, and he has seen quite a bit of success! His second album was released in October of last year, and my oh my is it a beautiful piece of work. This album reminds me of Eminem's Recovery. This is an album about starting again and learning from the past. This is an album about making changes and becoming whole again. James Arthur is definitely a man who can understand what hardship is. His music reflects the raw emotion associated with the hardships he has been through. I have always found James Arthur's work to be wonderful and very powerful, but this album as a whole is a heart wrenching and empowering masterpiece. This stadium sized anthem is a redemptive record. It highlights the darker parts of winning one of the biggest talent shows in the world. James Arthur really does bare it all and asks us to let the music tell his story. Despite the regrettable situations and moments in his past, James Arthur has us listen to the music the story tells. The story of regret and the chance for redemption. The seemingly quiet and melancholy start of the song gives way to a crashing crescendo of sound and emotion. There are many moments of highs and lows, moments of tranquility and turbulence. But that just enhances the lyrical beauty of the song, reflecting the exact message of the song. James Arthur acknowledges and even discusses the public perception of him, but goes further to then also acknowledge that he cannot change the public view of him. The chorus is an odd understanding and acceptance that he cannot create a new image for himself if people are not willing to see beyond his past. The beauty of the highs and lows in the musicality reflect the building up and breaking down that James Arthur experienced. Throughout the album, we see this idea of how music built him up, but James Arthur was his own downfall. But that lyrical beauty and genius of this song and album are stunning. We get to hear a choir in the background and even ever so soft lines from the Bible at the very end. This is a carefully crafted song which is meant to house a plethora of power and emotion. The passion in James Arthur's voice and lyrics is unparalleled. James Arthur has a voice that bleeds, a soul that is only perfectly captured in the melody of music. And we hear that depth and emotion and struggle in this song and album. Today's instrumental song is from the movie The Last Samurai. This movie is genuinely one of the most riveting and beautifully made movies I have seen. The scenery, the storyline, and the acting is beyond incredible. And, of course, this film would not be complete without the spellbinding score that accompanies the film. This score is one of the most empowering and inspiring film scores I have heard. We hear a lot of the Asian musical influence in this score, but that somehow makes this film even more powerful and impactful. This particular piece is the song of a warrior. The calm before the storm, the training and growth of strength, and then the final confrontation. We hear all of these steps and pivotal moments in a soldier's life in this one piece. And the story that this composition tells is one that is intense and inspiringly hopeful towards the end. I cannot ever get enough of this soundtrack. This is a composition that will allow you to lose your senses to the music. Let the rest of the world disappear and only this remains. The highs and lows of this song mirror the internal struggles we get to hear about from James Arthur. There are battles being fought in each piece, and the most poignant part is that there is still hope at the end. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!