With a refrain of “Why you gotta be so freakin’ soul crushing”, the aptly named ‘Soul Crushing’, first release from Jedward’s long-awaited fourth album, ‘Voice Of A Rebel’, is guaranteed to be not just an instantly relatable track, but also one which will have you hitting replay over and over.
‘Soul Crushing’, which comes as an instant grat download when pre-ordering ‘Voice Of A Rebel’ from iTunes, and is also already available to stream on Spotify, brings with it the promise of many more catchy tunes on the 22 track strong album from the Grimes Brothers.
Although they’ve released 12 singles since 2014, ‘Voice Of A Rebel’ is the first album to come from Jedward since their 2012 concept long player, ‘Young Love’.
And setting it apart from that album, and the two preceding records, ‘Planet Jedward’ (2010) and ‘Victory’ (2011), every single one of the 22 tracks on ‘Voice Of A Rebel’ has been written by the Dublin twins themselves. Not only that, they’ve produced the album as well, meaning that we have a true insight into the hearts and minds of Jedward: in this day and age of songs which have been written by a committee, catering to whatever is deemed to best “sell” a song, it’s refreshing to have music which has come from the artists themselves – and them alone. ‘Voice Of A Rebel’ is also the first album to come from Jedward’s five year recording contract with Universal Music Asia, and it’ll be exciting to see how it’s received over there, as their previous releases have always gone down well in the region.
‘Soul Crushing’ opens with John playing guitar, the Latin-infused vibes continuing throughout the entire song, sometimes hidden under the many layers of instrumentation. The different voices of the twins can be heard, the huskier tones of John contrasting with the rounder vocals of Edward, while their twin harmonies are also honey smooth. They passionately recount the frustration at being rejected by someone to whom they’d given their entire hearts, evoking a deep sadness in the listener. Standout lyrics include the aforementioned refrain, as well as the opening,
wish I could pack this suitcase of memories / but I’m a little too late / they’ve taken over me
and further into the song,
save me save me / from the wreckage / I’m buried deep beneath your broken promises / why do you play me play me / and treat me like this / I don’t deserve this at all / you should have been honest
Lyrically Jedward display a profound understanding of the role of poetry, and an advanced understanding of meter and rhythm when it comes to song writing. Maturity of concept is another aspect of this song: more than just about lost love, ‘Soul Crushing’ addresses the heartfelt emotions experienced when the end of a relationship is beyond your control, with the lines, “And now I’m screaming into my pillow tonight”, providing the listener with a lyrical picture of the over-thinking that goes on – especially late at night.
‘Soul Crushing’ can loosely be described as a pop song, but while it’s reminiscent of some of the recent releases by Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, and Justin Bieber, the inclusion of the previously mentioned Latin guitar, as well as some synthy dance rhythms, sees it cross genre boundaries with ease. ‘Soul Crushing’ maintains a moderate pace throughout the verses, while the chorus is slightly faster, and at just over 3 minutes long, it certainly is a perfect match for top 40 radio.
‘Soul Crushing’ is available now as an instant download with every pre-order of ‘Voice Of A Rebel’ on iTunes. You can also stream it on Spotify. It will be available to download from all other digital media on 13 June. ‘Voice Of A Rebel’ is set for release on 27 June.
Jedward can be found online on their official website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, and YouTube.
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