Music, whether that be on the creative or consumer side, can serve a myriad of purposes. It can soundtrack key life moments, change your mood, open your mind to new perspectives, relay a long kept secret or allow emotions to flow free. The possibilities are endless, yet for British singer-songwriter Bertie Newman, there’s only one story that he wanted to share when it came to writing and recording ‘I Will’.
As the Hackney born-and-bred artist openly shares: “‘I Will’ explores the shift of my past pre conceptions and associations with particular objects, places and people to how I feel now. I wanted to show the change in my mental state by making an ultimately happy and hopeful song, sound somber, just as I once felt.”
Upon listening to ‘I Will’, the delicate opening exudes a hesitancy as the softly strummed guitar gingerly approaches the song’s personal theme. Newman sets the intimate scene with the first line, “Walking through shadowed streets, we’re dancing in the kitchen till your lips touch my cheeks”, which he sings in hushed, pop tones that sound almost melancholic. Right throughout this song, Newman‘s vulnerability is palpable in each nostalgic word.
‘I Will’ is rooted in the singer-songwriter style, with the artist’s voice and guitar at it’s heart, but the production and added elements elevates the song beyond that. Rather than simple guitar, Newman has interjected intricately played strings soaked in reverberation and subtle electronic touches also add to the luscious soundtrack. By the end, ‘I Will’ is no longer about ruminating on the past, instead its lasting impact is one of catharsis.
You can listen to ‘I Will’ in our Shades of Pop and Folk This Way playlists.
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