Woo! Finally, Shayne Ward's new single has hit the Internet! Plus, apparently there's a dance remix of it out there!
Oh, who am I kidding. Of course this is going to be today's song--it's new Shayne stuff; how could it not be? This album has to be one of my most anticipated of the year.
This song is only going to be posted for something like a day, though (and I'm not mentioning its name here). Once it's taken down, you can still listen to it
here.
[song]--anyone who was bothered by the lyrics of this album's lead singles isn't going to feel any better about this song ("if we had babies they would have your eyes/I would fall deeper watching you give life"). And, to be honest, given my attitude towards (prejudice against, to be less euphemistic) ballads and given Shayne's last album, if this had been the lead single, the first indication we got of his new material, I probably would have thrown a fit. Given that he's made it sound like there's only one ballad on the album, though (this being it), I was able to go into it with a far more open mind--which is a good thing, because, despite that slightly kicky drumbeat (slower than you get in, say, a Ne-Yo song), this is much more of a true ballad than "No Promises." It's got all the production values of "No U Hang Up," which I
love--there's a certain cleanliness to it, but with enough little elements (that drum machine, strings, processing, electronic touches) that it doesn't feel lifeless; the production alone would win me over. Musically, the chorus is super-sweet and lovely--very swoony--and the middle 8 is quite pretty as well. Will this be knocking Backstreet's "I Want It That Way" away off its perch anytime soon? Probably not*, but it is a
very good ballad (albeit the sort that I already see some people brushing off).
I don't know of anywhere where you can preorder this single yet, but you can preorder the album, due out November 26,
here (physical).
Next up: maybe the song I was going to post today...which, come to think of it, means it'll be posted on a more appropriate day.
*I reserve the right to change my opinion on this.
9 comments:
Shayne's getting all fluttering-handclap-y in his new songs, which I think is why I like him now. That, and the fact that he looks like the boff of the century.
hmm it's alright.. but I don't think it's as good as "No Promises"
I love that description! Captures what the songs sound like perfectly.
Sort of unrelated, but there's something I've been wondering about: will this song stick? The first big ballads I think of when trying to think of male ballads with a lot of commercial success with some sort of vulnerability--the first I thought of were Daniel Bedingfield's "If You're Not The One" and Enrique Iglesias's "Hero"--both their voices in those sound raw or like they're about to break down, and I wonder if that sort of...grit or realness or emotion or whatever helped them take off. Like, is "Breathless" too anesthetized (not that I'm saying it is--I'm asking), too slick to really stick?
Then the problem I ran into was BSB's "I Want It That Way." Sure, lyrically it's sung from a position of weakness, but I don't know that the music or delivery conveys that weakness (or does it?)--I mean, even in demo version "No Promises" it's still got that classic feel, a feel of just clinging to you more than this does, and it's just as "slick" as "Breathless." I wonder what it is about the music that makes it "work" so well.
Hah. Well, I guess if anyone knew that, they'd have worked out the route to constant success and they probably wouldn't be sharing their formula with the world. Still though, I wonder if there's something that can be pinpointed.
(And how does something like, say, Ne-Yo's "So Sick" factor into this? I know, I know, there's no one formula.)
(General note: at no point am I saying I dislike this song--I'm just sort of pondering on the good/great vs. classic [in terms of general perception and success or just music fans' perception]. And maybe time will show me be to completely wrong on how much "Breathless" sticks.)
Oops--Acerben commented while I was. No, I think so far I go on the "No Promises" side as well.
...And that should be "male ballads with a lot of commercial success HAVE some sort of vulnerability." And I think you get that feeling, sort of, from "No Promises" as well, musically, even from that toybox-esque opening.
I don't think Shayne has the ability to 'break down' on his vocal... yet. I don't think his voice has matured. He's doing well, but give him 20 ciggies a day and he'd do it! And he's still very boffable.
I like his stuff... he's done good.
ah shayne, its the sounds he makes in the bedroom with me that are important :P hehe
anyway, i am sort of beginning to love this new ballad, much in the same way i am starting to hate less the new spice girls ballad...
Fuck me Shayne, fuck me! :O
Do you know, it is coming to something when I can't even tell if this last comment is serious or joking!
"Hate less" is a nice way of putting things, Paul--I think I may borrow that for other things. Re: Spice Girls, I've not even bothered with the full thing since hearing that clip of it.
Phil, yeah, I do too! I think he's got good potential, so I'm glad he's been matched up with good songwriters.
And, addressed to myself, that should be "music box." Unless, of course, someone has a toy box that plays music too.
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