Happy NMF on this Friday, May 13, 2022! This week, we’ve got five new picks coming to you courtesy of Grammy-winning pop duo The Chainsmokers, Grammy-nominated group OneRepublic, Aussie pop band 5 Seconds of Summer, alt-pop musician James Bay, and last but not least American Idol finalist Fritz Hager!
“I Love U” by The Chainsmokers
💿 – Today marks the release of electronic pop duo, The Chainsmokers’ fourth studio album, So Far So Good. “I Love U” is their latest single/music video.
🇯🇵👾 – The intro and bridge sections contain a Japanese RPG video game sample from Granblue Fantasy.
😔💖 – If you’ve broke up with somebody yet still have lingering feelings for him/her/them, then this song will resonate with you. It could be due to a number of reasons including the long-distance relationship dynamic and you want to try one more time with each other OR it could just simply be owning up to your mistakes in the past by showing your lover that you’ve changed.
🎵 – The Chainsmokers never fails at being the life of the party. The music video looked like a fun shoot. This song as a whole is catchy and has more of a pop-like sound vs. being flat out electronic. So if you liked their past singles like “Closer,” or “Something Just Like This,” then you’ll likely enjoy this one too.
“I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic
👂 – Right off the bat Ryan Tedder’s infectious whistling has become an earworm.
🎞️ – This marks the second soundtrack single to be released from the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick film. OneRepublic’s single follows last week’s release of Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand.” Look forward to both singles on the upcoming film’s official soundtrack album when it drops the same day the movie does on May 27th!
🍿 – Scenes from the film are spliced into the music video as the band vibe out on the beach. Shoutout to The Beach Boys as seen on Tedder’s shirt.
✌️ – Such a positive song that has the power to erase the stress and worries. Play it if you need to boost your mood and confidence. This song pairs well with their previously released singles, “Sunshine,” and “West Coast.”
“Me Myself & I” by 5 Seconds Of Summer
😩 – Have you broken up with someone or got dumped by someone, only to later feel regret later on? Then look no further to 5SOS’ latest single off their forthcoming untitled fifth studio album (releasing September 23rd.)
🎤 – Luke Hemmings’ vocals from the post-chorus to the verses flowed smoothly in my opinion. Also thought the upbeat break was a nice parallel to the remorseful lyrics.
🙏🏻 – My sincere thoughts go out to those alone out there post-breakup navigating life at this weird and confusing time. Hopefully a song like this will be a turning point for you towards a repaired relationship/second chance or at least an agreed mutual respected friendship.
“One Life” by James Bay
🥰 – Express your love to your lover with this latest track by singer-songwriter, James Bay! The song will be a part of his upcoming new album, Leap — out July 8th!
💞 – Hope the love gets returned back to you upon playing this song to your lover.
🎧 – This song is very easy on the ears. Put on some headphones to hear the crisp guitar strings strumming along! Bay is a smart lyricist and he conveys the emotions of love flawlessly.
🌱🌳 – Love the nature scenes in the music video! Life is precious and so is this planet. They are intertwined. Cultivating Earth, our lands, our relationships and ourselves make for a harmonious lifecycle.
“Hearts Align” by Fritz Hager
💯 – American Idol season 20, top 5 finalist, Fritz Hager is the frontrunner in my books. He just released his new single, “Hearts Align.” and will be singing this song on the upcoming new episode airing Sunday night 8 P.M. EST on ABC!
5/15 Update: Scratch that, the top 5 will not sing their originals after all. Perhaps for finale night or when one of them wins.
💔💕 – Similar in theme to The Chainsmokers’ “I Love U,” “Hearts Align” sees Hager longing for the good ol’ times when his heart aligned with a lover and everything seemed to be perfect and on the same page. Now that they are apart, he still has lingering feelings and wishes he had her back in his life. Life will not be whole again until the relationship is restored.
👍🏽 Shoutout to the co-writers of the song, Francisco Martin (top 5 finalist from season 18) and Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Drew Pearson (see Phillip Phillips’ “Home.”) Also, shoutout to producer King Henry! He’s worked with notable artists including Sasha Sloan, LANY, Meghan Trainor & Diplo! Hager is already in good company. Win or lose, his star power is only going to rise after all this is said and done!
What do you think about this week’s selections? Comment your feelings below!
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Philip's Music Corner 