Julia Michaels & Niall Horan and James Bay

Today’s song is more well-known, but for some reason, I have been unable to get it out of my head. And so I figured, might as well write about it!

This song is one for the heartbroken and can be understood by those who have been through heartbreak. It is a poignant and emotional track, guaranteed to stir up some feelings. This song is by Julia Michaels and features some vocal work by Niall Horan, as the two singers describe the pain of letting go of a love that once was. Now if this isn’t enough to give the song away, great! That just means you get to experience this song like it’s the first time.

This track is hauntingly emotional, figuratively and literally. In this song, we are moved by the haunting beauty of the melodies and soulfulness, but the narrator is also haunted by a past love. Julia Michaels effortlessly translates that yearning and longing, the ghost of something that was, into the song.

 Julia Michaels lends a voice that is simultaneously light and grounded, soft and strong. She has a delicate balance in her voice, one that exudes both confidence and a shy expression of vulnerability. Though in this song, we get a peek inside her mind and her heart. It is no wonder her album refers to inner monologues, as that is exactly what the lyrics of this track are. We get to hear and experience the thoughts racing through her mind. We get to listen to and understand the feelings which simultaneously fill her heart and breaks it. The myriad of emotions Julia Michaels expresses in this song are contradictory, juxtapositions of each other. But they are also completely relatable. And at the end of the day, there is something so completely human about it. Heartbreak makes us cling to the beauty and happiness of the past, but also face the pain of the present. We are haunted by both the past and present, sometimes unable to discern what we should feel. And sometimes, something that used to be an amazing moment, may feel like a lie in the aftermath. The most beautiful and heart-wrenching part of this song is that we can feel everything Julia Michaels feels. We feel the outpour of emotion which is composed into this track, woven into the words and melodies and harmonies. We feel the sheer vulnerability in the way Niall Horan’s voice gently kisses the words, sitting softly on top of the guitars and chorus. We feel the scrabble for strength in the way both singers bring more power into their voices when singing together because having support is strengthening. The composition of this song perfectly accentuates the mixed emotions, which eventually end up as a broken heart. But it also lends some sort of hopefulness, a brightness which can be felt as time goes on.

 The crescendo towards the end feels like the final purge of everything the two singers have felt. At this point, it feels as though both artists are belting out their pain. Personally, it feels like that moment when the damn of vulnerability breaks – you need to sit on the floor and let the emotion flood out of you in tears, but also can’t help but feel a sense of contentment once it is all let go. Another juxtaposition, yet it is another which is so easily understood. This song is so beautifully done, and Julia Michaels expresses herself in a way that makes us experience all that she feels, all that she has felt. And that is a special kind of magic.

 Today’s instrumental song is by a special solo singer, James Bay. Not only is he a fantastic singer and lyricist, but he is also a gifted composer. Many of James Bay’s tracks feature a soulfulness, one that is meant to be an emotional expression. However, James Bay is able to heighten the emotionality of the track by simplifying everything about it. In this track specifically, we are gifted with a simple guitar melody and soft percussion work to accompany the vocals. And even these two things alone, are able to convey an atmosphere of a special kind of sadness. This track is a beautiful piece and fits perfectly with the first song. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!



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