A little over a week ago my brother asked me how I listen to music these days. He immediately followed it up by asking if there is anyone (singular or plural) who has caught my ear to the point of maybe spurring me to dive into their catalog, learn more about them, and so on.
I don’t want to get sidetracked here by venturing into the answers that I was giving him to those questions that he posed. But suffice it to say, if the song “No More Saving You” by Zy Smoke had come across my screen sooner, I’m sure I would’ve mentioned that in our conversation.
After all, the song got my attention enough that I made the conscious decision that I wanted to give it a blog all to itself to tell my readers about. I’d like to think that after you finish with what I have to say below and give it a listen, you too will want to tell others about it if not also maybe add it to a personal playlist of yours.
I’m optimistic that you’ll agree that the track has enough going for it that lots of other bloggers are likely writing good reviews as well.
Just released two weeks ago, the single has a really good commercial sound. I have to confess that I went into it with a chip on my shoulder because the description mentioned trap and ("East Coast") rap, both of which I would typically run away from, as those are genres that, by rule, I just do not write reviews of. But -- with the exception of maybe five seconds at the end of the first minute of the song -- I didn't really hear that at all.
The song, you might be surprised to learn, is a nice duet. (I would've liked to see a credit for the female vocalist). Nicely done by the Staten Island, New York, artist.
You’ll hear that it’s a song focused on letting go of toxic, one-sided relationships, highlighting themes of independence and emotional release. Call me Captain Obvious, but making music that is relatable, having a message that lots of listeners can identify with, can only increase your chances of broader acceptance and thus widening your audience.
Zy Smoke obviously has already identified a formula that’s working for him, as evidenced by the approximately eleven thousand monthly listeners on Spotify and now this newest release, which, by the way, has a great arrangement.
I was even watching elements of a music video for this song play out in my head as I listened to the crystal-clear delivery of lyrics that too many of us will nod along with out of familiarity (lived experience).
I have to say that I’m glad I stuck with it and didn’t hit the Stop button either very shortly after starting (judging a book by its cover, meaning, being influenced by the genres referenced in the description) or when I heard traces of that at the end of the first minute of the song because this is a winner.
That’s one of the targets you need to achieve as a music creator – giving the listener no reason to hit the Stop button. If they want more, you’ve got them hooked. Don’t leave any room for them to bail out on your track.
Certainly, this applies to other creators too, such as those of us who do a podcast or a YouTube show. We hear about the algorithm taking into account how much time people spend with our content. “No More Saving You” is only 2:42, so Zy Smoke isn’t trying to hold you for, say four minutes. Heck, it’s less than three minutes.
There is more and more of an appetite these days for shorter content. Look at YouTube Shorts as well as TikToks that are 60 seconds or less. Now we are to the point in the music world where it’s not unusual for a song to be less than three minutes. In other words, if you’re trying to add more just because you think the running time looks thin, don’t overthink it.
I tip my cap to Zy Smoke on a new release that you’ll want to go listen to and keep an eye on what else he’s doing. This is my first exposure to the artist and his work and I’m quite sure we will all certainly be hearing more from him.
A Member of the Recording Academy, I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more for over 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.