When a song came across my virtual desk for review and consideration recently, it was a case of too much seemingly working against it that you would’ve thought, “Well, I guess this one is going to end up as a No.”
Consider, however, in sports, when an underdog wins a game that all the experts, prognosticators, and insiders say they’d have no business coming away victorious. Invariably we’ll end up hearing some sports personality say, “But that’s why they play the games.”
And in the case of what I had in front of me, that’s why I still follow through on hitting the Play button anyway.
Now first I need to clarify that even though you do see song reviews on this blog from time to time – including, ironically, three weeks in a row in late June/early July – this is not (solely) a song reviews blog. Quite the contrary, actually. When such does show up here on a given Monday, it should be considered the exception to the rule.
Having said that, the song I’m writing about today has to be probably the best song I’ve ever reviewed. There I said it. I know, that’s a big statement.
Often times I’ll hear someone say, “Wow, that was the best movie I ever saw,” or, “Mm, that was the best pizza I’ve ever had.” And I’m quick to (somewhat sarcastically) say, “Really? You’ve considered every (movie you’ve ever seen or pizza you’ve ever eaten) and made that conclusion that fast?”
But “Legendary,” the track from E-NAY that wowed me, impressed me on a level that I don’t ever recall with any song that I’ve green lighted for blog review.
Funny enough, I actually didn't understand what I was listening to, but it didn't matter. The track is just fantastic. Now, let me, of course, explain my confusion.
The description that accompanied the track said that it blends Whitney Houston and Adele and that the vocals are "human-sounding," which made me wonder if it was AI, yet again, it didn't matter, because it was that good.
I started to wonder, “Is this a remake of a song I should know?” But it didn’t matter.
I couldn’t stop gushing in giving feedback to the artist. “Truly wonderful. Really great,” I wrote.
By now I hope you’re starting to see why at first glance I thought this had too many things working against it and couldn’t possibly end up in the Approved pile. Add to that how long I said that the track was and I really was figuring I would probably end up bailing after a minute or so.
Forget the boundaries. The 6:35 running time should be accepted anywhere this song will and should be played.
For those of you who are chasing commercial success, know that that’s possible (even given a non-traditional running time such as “Legendary”) and keep going. One listen to this track should give you a strong sense for where you need to be aiming.
The production, the orchestration, the powerful vocals, this song has it all. Yes, it’s a high bar, but if you’re not aiming for something that sounds like this, dare I say that you are just settling. Let “Legendary” inspire you to hit the reset button and strive to make every track you record be a masterpiece.
My heartfelt congratulations one more time to E-NAY on a fantastic release. This should be a real source of pride, and I won’t be surprised when we hear it at the Winter Olympics next February and/or other grand stages.
Now a Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for more than twenty years. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.