Category: My Sunday Song

My Sunday Song – “Escapism” by Raye (Feat. 070 Shake)

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For My Sunday Song #367, we are now on the 7th selection in the Morgan’s Choice Series. This time around we are talking about the song “Escapism” by British singer Raye which features 070 Shake. The song started off as a huge TikTok sensation and became the third single off her 2022 album, ‘My 21st Century Blues’. The song hit #23 on the Billboard Top 40 and it charted in dozens and dozens of countries. It was written by Raye along with 070 Shakes and Mike Sabath who also handled production.

The song is about escaping from reality after a bad break-up. That escaping deals with unhealthy coping mechanisms including drugs, alcohol and even hooking up with a lot of people. In the lyrics she is hitting the clubs and sitting in the back of a cab doing coke. Within 24 hours after the breakup she is with another man doing God knows what. It is not healthy at all and not a great way to deal with the breakup, but she made a hit song so who can argue with the results.

The song has a strong electronic beat that carries a certain cock swagger. The drums and the bass are turned up almost to a slight distorted level, but that beat will get you moving. There are lots of changes throughout as Raye tackles the lyrics in different ways whether it is a cocky spirited delivery or a soft, vulnerable state and she has a great voice and can handle both perfectly. 070 Shake’s (or Daniella Balbuena’s) vocals pair nicely with Raye’s and she brings that hip hop break that a lot of todays’s songs have, but I don’t think they always need. This works with it or without it in my opinion. This isn’t something I would gravitate towards, but no denying it is a catchy number

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My Sunday Song – “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez

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For My Sunday Song #366, we are on Morgan’s 6th choice and this time is Stephen Sanchez’s sweet song “Until I Found You” off his 2022 album ‘Easy on My Eyes’. The song was released on September 1st 2021 and it went to #23 in the US and has been certified platinum multiple times over. Stephen wrote the song all by himself and isn’t cool when you have an artist that can write his own songs (yes that was a dig at some of her choices so far). There is a solo performance of the song and one with Em Beihold and both versions are just stellar. You can’t go wrong with either.

I usually talk about the song means, but Stephen knows best so I will let him discuss it…Stephen Sanchez shared with PLNK WIFI the story behind “Until I Found You” released on the 1st of September, 2021, “When I met my girlfriend Georgia, I was in the worst place ever. She was so loving and great to me though. I didn’t feel good enough for that, so I pushed her away. We spent some time apart. She was in Virginia. I was in California. A month before I moved to Nashville, we reconnected over the phone, I drove up, took her on a date, and we’ve been together ever since. I wrote ‘Until I Found You’ to let her know how much I love her, and to let her know I knew how much of an idiot I was when I let her go the first time.”

Musically, the song is so old-school with an old-50’s style sound and even a hint of The Beach Boys. It makes the song so warm and inviting and I have to admit I think it is quite awesome. That twangy guitar and those brilliant drum fills are nothing are so sweet and tender and match the emotion of the song. I really dig this one and thinks you have to really listen to it to appreciate what I have said and see for yourself.

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My Sunday Song – “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy

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For My Sunday Song #365, we are on to the 5th song of Morgan’s Choices and this one is a song called “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy. The song was released on June 29, 2022 and is the second single off his album ‘Gemini Rights’. The song is his first chart success and what a success it was. It is the first song to ever top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts simultaneously. Pretty impressive feat. The song was written by a ton of people including Britanny Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Kirby, Matthew Castellanos and Steve Lacy. Yes, it takes an army of people to make a song this bad. Yes, it might be number #1 on a lot of charts but I absolutely despise this song for a ton of reasons, but this was one of my daughters choices, and I am true to my word in reviewing and I’m going to be honest about it.

The song is about not making a move on a possible love interest. She likes him, but he has a bad habit of biting his tongue, meaning he won’t speak up and say something. He is full of regret for not making a move despite her being interested. Now, in the last verse, she gives him a second chance and then they finally get busy. I guess it all works out in the end.

The song’s production is a total loss for me. There is a distorted feel to it that makes it sound like my speakers are bad and that turns me off really quick. I’m not a fan of the beatbox effect or of Steve’s vocals. There are too many electronic effects, the drum sound is bad and the bass line, although could be decent, sounds a mess. It sounds like he was going for a whole Price vibe with it all, but Prince would never have the production sound this bad. If you can’t tell, I am not a fan of this one at all. And to think, this took 5 people to write this…That does not give me hope for today’s music.

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My Sunday Song – “Before You” by Benson Boone

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For My Sunday Song #364, we are now on the fourth song of Morgan’s Choice. This one is “Before You” by Benson Boone. The song is a new single for him for a yet untitled future album. The song was released about 5 months ago and it was featured on TikTok as that is where Benson has grown to fame with I am sure multiple millions of followers. Heck the video has almost 3 million views (2.9m are from my daughter I am sure). I don’t have TikTok or do I even want it, but that is where the kids today find there music and somehow my daughter came across this one. And as you’ve seen so far, she has an eclectic palate of music and this one leans to the very pop side of things.

The song was written by a whole slew of people including Casey Cathleen Smith, Jackson Lafrantz, Benson Boone and Jason Suwito. At least Benson’s name is in there as I would have lost a little respect for me as an artist. “Before You” is basically a love song. The singer can’t remember time without this person and he imagines that he was lost, alone and basically a total mess of a person. But with her/him, he is complete. He just wants to hold their hand, slow down time and spend all their time with each other. A gather since he is so smitten that this is relatively new relationship and he has on his rose colored glasses.

Being a love song, it is a ballad and is so sugary sweet. There is a nice piano accompanying Benson who actually has a nice voice. The chorus is catchy and a little ear worm if you like this type of pop. I see why the song stuck with my daughter. It is funny, there songs she loves that are so dark and gloomy and then there is this happy, go-lucky type song. I’m so glad her taste are varied. Now, this wouldn’t have been one I would’ve been drawn to, but I will admit it is a catchy pop tune and he has a good voice.

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My Sunday Song – “Ghost In The Machine (Feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” by SZA

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For My Sunday Song #363, we are tackling Morgan’s Choice song #3 with SZA’s “Ghost in the Machine” which features it girl Phoebe Bridgers. The song was released on December 9, 2022 and is off SZA’s 2022 album ‘SOS’. The song cracked the Top 40 going to #40 and I am sure my daughter found the song on TikTok like so many of the songs she listens to every day.

The song is about the digital age and how we are losing our humanity due to being wired in all the time. For SZA, it is longing for that human connection that we can’t get through our devices. She wants to love and get hurt and basically live. For Phoebe, that Ghost in the machine is the long, lonely days in airports and hotels being far away from the people you love. People are using social media to connect with people, but you aren’t your true self this way. You can’t really look in to another’s eyes and see who they really are and connect to their soul. It is a wonderful truth that it would be nice if we’d wake up and realize that we are losing ourselves thanks to technology.

Musically, this isn’t my normal cup of tea, but it really is a great song. There is a lot electronica in the song as most everything is done through a keyboard or programmed through a computer which I find interesting considering the topic of the song. The singing is soft, gentle and filled with loneliness. There is a great groove to it as well and has a modern R&B vibe along with an indie sound. It is multiple genres rolled in to one. The music is sullen and dripping with sadness as the person feels lost. It isn’t a happy song at all, but it works.

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My Sunday Song – “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant

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For My Sunday Song #362, we are covering the 2nd song in the Morgan’s Choice 10 song set. This time around we are talking about the song “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant. The song is off their 2013 album ‘Melophobia’ and was the 2nd song off that album to go #1. Released on as a single on August 26, 2014, it has sold over 3,000,000 copies of the single and has over 42 million views on Youtube. Pretty dang impressive. It was credited to the whole band, but it was mostly the singer Matt Schultz who wrote it. Matt thought about giving it to someone else to play because he didn’t think it was a Cage song, but his brother Brad said that why can’t they write any song and play it. It doesn’t have to be a so called “Cage the Elephant” song, they should just write and play what they want.

Matt was sitting around strumming his guitar when the melody came to him and then the words flowed. It was inspired by a personal experience he had and that experience helped write the song and it all came quick and easy. The experience is about isolating yourself from everyone. Even from those that could help you. They feel lost in life and that loneliness grows the more they isolate themselves from the world. It is a conversation on depression and we should be talking about it more. The thought is it is about his relationship with his first wife. Whoever it is about, it is a sad, melancholy tune that is so simple and so beautiful.

What I love about this song is the acoustic styling of the song reminds of my favorite Guster song “Do You Love Me”. It has that same rawness to it and quirkiness that speaks to me for some reason. The music is as sad as the lyrics, but it has such a pretty melody and a chorus that is a little upbeat and happier. Matt’s vocals are smooth, with a little whine to it that fits perfectly with the song and its lyrics. The keyboards add a nice flair to it and the rhythm section keeps the song moving and on point. A sweet, yet sad track that is nothing short of perfection.

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My Sunday Song – “Bang Bang” By Nessa Barrett

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For My Sunday Song #361, we are doing a different sort of 10 song set. Instead of 10 songs in a row from a band, I asked my daughter to pick 10 songs that she likes and I will listen to them and write about them giving my thoughts on them. It is a varied bunch of artists, some I wasn’t surprised she picked, some I was and some I wish she hadn’t, but I’ll do it anyway. First one up is actually one of my favorites that she picked. It is the song “Bang Bang” by singer Nessa Barrett. It was released as a single back in December 2022, but it isn’t on her latest album. It is a brand new song. Nessa is one of the few artists to come off of TikTok and actually land a record deal and there is a reason for it as she has a great voice and does some pretty interesting songs. There is another one she does called “I Hope UR Miserable Until UR Dead” that I think is totally awesome, but this one is great too.

The song is really dark. Nessa has a mental disorder called borderline personality rage and she really lets you know what goes on when that happens. The line “I’ve Got Intrusive Thoughts” is exactly what happens as when you are in that rage, the crazy things you want to do at that exact moment can be overwhelming. In the song, she wants to do some really bad things to her ex & his girlfriend like kill him first, cut the lines on his breaks and beat him with a crowbar, heck maybe even throw him off the roof of a building. All a little disturbing and all make a great song.

Musically, there is a lot of aggressiveness to it and a whole punk attitude. Heck the song is only a little over 2 minutes and it goes by in a frenzied flash. The electronic drum beats, the wicked basslines are heavy, quick, a little distorted and totally rocking. Nessa delivers the lyrics in a fast, deliberate fashion that seems eerie and yet and there is a little fun to her vocals as well. When she gets to the “I’ve Got Intrusive Thoughts” part, she speaks it which doubles down the evilness of the song and I will be honest, that is what is great about the song. That chorus is catchy as hell with the “la, la, la’s” and the “bang bang”, simple yet very effective.

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My Sunday Song – “Fantasy” by Aldo Nova

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The final My Sunday Song for the 10 Song Aldo Nova set is “Fantasy” of his self-titled 1981 debut album. The song #360 in the My Sunday Song series rocketed up the charts and landed at #23 on the Top 40 charts. It was Aldo’s only song to chart in the Top 40 in the U.S. and made him a One Hit Wonder. Which is so far from the truth, but charts are charts. VH1 named “Fantasy” one of the Top 100 One Hit Wonder songs of the 80’s.

The last song we discussed, “Monkey On Your Back” was about drugs and guess what…so is “Fantasy”. Another dark story on drug addiction and prostitution and the shadowy world in the big city. The drugs make you so high that life seems great and you party hard, but it is all a fantasy…all is not well and life pretty much sucks. Drugs mask reality and only help you hide from the truth. When on the drugs, nothing is real.

The song starts off with an ominous feel and a short machine gun burst before the helicopter comes soaring in (all done with keyboards I believe). The music intensifies and the laser blast busting open the door kicks off this powerhouse of a rock song. Aldo comes soaring in with the guitars and then the vocals all accompanied by his amazing keyboard work. The songs use of keyboards, gave the song such a sci-fi feel to it, but it was the guitar playing by Aldo that made this a great rock song. The guitar dual solo is awesome even if it is Aldo going against Aldo. What’s not to love about it. This song feels like a pre-cursor of what was to come with music in the 80’s. Was this the kick-off point to the 80’s glam/hard rock era? Maybe.

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My Sunday Song – “Monkey On Your Back” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #359, we are talking about the song “Monkey On Your Back” off Aldo Nova’s 2nd album, 1983’s ‘Subject…Aldo Nova’. The song was the first single off the album and although it didn’t make the Top 100, it did rise to #12 on the Mainstream Rock Chart which helped send the album to Gold status in the U.S. and Platinum in his home country of Canada. Not a bad start, however, the promotion was lacking and the album didn’t hit the level it probably should have as this is my favorite Aldo Nova album.

Before there was Bon Jovi’s Tommy & Gina, we get the sad stories of Timmy and Sally. “Monkey On Your Back” is about the monkey on your back and in their case that monkey is drugs. Tommy got addicted to Heroin and it took all his money and ruined his life. Sally had it worst, she met a guy name Willy and Willy was a pimp. He was kind enough to turn her into a prostitute and got her addicted to heroin. What a swell guy. Both tragic stories with no happy ending. The song is Aldo’s commentary on the drug problem in this world and how easily it is to get addicted and take over you life. It is a dark, disturbing world and something needs to be done.

The song opens with some pounding drums, a killer guitar riff by Aldo accompanied by some solo work by Aldo as well. The keyboards are massive adding to the whole sci-fi vibe of the album giving it more texture and color. Aldo’s vocals are aggressive and at times he even uses the talk box for more dramatic effect and this was before Bon Jovi did it. But the hero of this story is the guitars as Aldo is so underrated in this area. His mixture of the keyboards and the guitar are always great together. The song was probably ahead of its time but does sound a little dated, but when that solo kicks in with the robotic like growl, you don’t care one bit. You just want to rock out.

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My Sunday Song – “Blood on the Bricks” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #358, we are going to dive in to the title track of Aldo Nova’s 1991 comeback album ‘Blood on the Bricks’. The song kicks off the album and was the first single. It is also a collaboration between Aldo Nova and his long time friend Jon Bon Jovi. After Aldo helped Jon with his debut solo, Jon returned the favor and helped on this one. The song and the album were released on Jon’s own label Jambco Records which was part of Mercury Records.

The song is a dark view on inner city life. It is a sad commentary on the amount of crime in the big cities, the increase in gang violence, how unsafe life is there and a very unfavorable opinion of how the police handle it all. What is awful about this commentary is that 30 years later, it really isn’t any better and might be worse now. This song is really just as relevant today as it was back in 1991.

The drum barrage to kick it off gets the blood flowing. Then the guitars and bass coming roaring in and Aldo comes in with the vocals and there is a heck of a lot more energy as this song is a pure on rocker with heavy guitar, blistering riffs and a solo that will knock on your ass. The vocal deliver is a cross between Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” and Kiss’ “Hide Your Heart” as it is telling a story of a hard, rough life. Aldo does sound great, but it is the guitar’s that are the star here as Aldo rips and shreds all over the place with this one. The second star is Kenny Aronoff’s drumming as it is spectacular and the driving force to the song. A stellar comeback track for Aldo Nova!!

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