{"id":96062,"date":"2026-06-12T09:59:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T08:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=96062"},"modified":"2026-06-15T10:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T09:51:06","slug":"summer-called-owen-rivera-answered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2026\/06\/summer-called-owen-rivera-answered\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Called. Owen Rivera Answered."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>There are songs you discover and songs that find you, usually through a car window somewhere between a motorway and a coast road, with the volume up and the afternoon stretched out ahead. &#8216;LaiLuv&#8217;, the new single from nineteen-year-old Curb Records artist Owen Rivera, is very much the second kind.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Built around a tropical melody, breezy vocal harmonies, and a lightness of touch that recalls the golden-era Beach Boys without ever feeling like pastiche, &#8216;LaiLuv&#8217; does what only the best summer pop can: it conjures a feeling more than a place. Warm nights, late drives, the particular glow of a moment you already know you&#8217;ll want to hold onto. Rivera doesn&#8217;t oversell any of it; the lyrics are unhurried, the production lets the song breathe, and that restraint is exactly what makes it work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Written by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Michael Lloyd and Emmy Award winner Greg O&#8217;Connor, the craft underneath LaiLuv is immediately apparent. This is a pop song that knows precisely what it is and executes it with real confidence. The hook settles in early and stays long after the track ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That Rivera pulls it off with such ease at nineteen is, frankly, a little unfair on everyone else. A singer-songwriter, drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and SAG-AFTRA voice actor who has shared stages with the likes of Mavis Staples, Jason Mraz, and Graham Nash, he carries the kind of natural ease that usually takes years to develop. His 2025 Christmas single reached number five on the MediaBase Christmas Chart. LaiLuv suggests the ceiling is considerably higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider this your soundtrack for the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_24173\"  width=\"640\" height=\"360\"  data-origwidth=\"640\" data-origheight=\"360\"  data-relstop=\"1\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rkKoyY7lFmw?enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/essentiallypop.com&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=1&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;color=red&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;rel=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"Owen Rivera &quot;Lailuv&quot; (Official Video)\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/rkKoyY7lFmw\/maxresdefault.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are songs you discover and songs that find you, usually through a car window somewhere between a motorway and a coast road, with the volume up and the afternoon stretched out ahead. &#8216;LaiLuv&#8217;, the new single from nineteen-year-old Curb Records artist Owen Rivera, is very much the second kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":96063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"There are songs you discover and songs that find you, usually through a car window somewhere between a motorway and a coast road, with the volume up and the afternoon stretched out ahead. 'LaiLuv', the new single from nineteen-year-old Curb Records artist Owen Rivera, is very much the second kind.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Summer Called. Owen Rivera Answered.","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"There are songs you discover and songs that find you, usually through a car window somewhere between a motorway and a coast road, with the volume up and the afternoon stretched out ahead. 'LaiLuv', the new single from nineteen-year-old Curb Records artist Owen Rivera, is very much the second kind.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,9,21453,21445,21446,21449,640],"tags":[33707,33706,77,370,1945,33705,18471,116,79,10677,81,22992],"class_list":["post-96062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","category-new-releases","category-new-singles","category-reviews","category-single-reviews","category-video-reviews","category-videos","tag-curb-records","tag-lailuv","tag-new-release","tag-new-single","tag-new-video","tag-owen-rivera","tag-polly-havelock","tag-review","tag-single","tag-single-review","tag-video","tag-video-review"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5yMhl-oZo","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51692,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/07\/almost-owen-releases-new-single-we-out-here\/","url_meta":{"origin":96062,"position":0},"title":"Almost Owen Releases New Single, &#8216;We Out Here&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"25\/07\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"You'll remember our previous review of 'One Lucky Man', by Almost Owen, back in June. The Boston singer, songwriter, and producer - a triple threat - returns with his latest single, 'We Out Here', released worldwide on July 23.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/we-out-here.jpg?fit=1002%2C910&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/we-out-here.jpg?fit=1002%2C910&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/we-out-here.jpg?fit=1002%2C910&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/we-out-here.jpg?fit=1002%2C910&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54524,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/09\/almost-owen-is-having-the-time-of-his-life-from-the-outside-with-new-single\/","url_meta":{"origin":96062,"position":1},"title":"Almost Owen Is Having The Time Of His Life &#8216;From The Outside&#8217; With New Single","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"11\/09\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost Owen returns with what is possibly his most thought provoking song yet. 'From The Outside' examines the lives we present to others, in contrast with what's really happening.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/almost-owen-from-the-outside.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/almost-owen-from-the-outside.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/almost-owen-from-the-outside.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/almost-owen-from-the-outside.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/almost-owen-from-the-outside.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50617,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/06\/bostons-almost-owen-isnt-just-almost-with-release-of-one-lucky-man-single\/","url_meta":{"origin":96062,"position":2},"title":"Boston&#8217;s Almost Owen Isn&#8217;t Just Almost With Release Of &#8216;One Lucky Man&#8217; Single","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"15\/06\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost Owen is a triple threat, with his talent as a singer, songwriter, and producer, and he is set to prove this to the world with his latest single, 'One Lucky Man', released yesterday, 14 June.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AO-OLM-V3-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AO-OLM-V3-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AO-OLM-V3-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AO-OLM-V3-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/AO-OLM-V3-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19954,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2016\/05\/judith-owens-new-single-takes-a-look-at-how-dependent-we-are-on-technology\/","url_meta":{"origin":96062,"position":3},"title":"Judith Owen\u2019s New Single Takes A Look At How Dependent We Are On Technology","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"02\/05\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"As Judith Owen explained to Standard Issue Magazine, \u2018writing an email or sending a text is a minefield. 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Instantly captivating thanks to Ren\u00b4s beguiling voice, wiith its meaningful lyrics over the main guitar melody, the song eventually boasts some fine instrumentation due the presence of a stunning string arrangement.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Ren-Willow.jpg?fit=614%2C954&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Ren-Willow.jpg?fit=614%2C954&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Ren-Willow.jpg?fit=614%2C954&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80972,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2023\/04\/jason-owens-releases-country-pop-single-party-like-you-with-romantic-music-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":96062,"position":5},"title":"Jason Owens Releases Country\/Pop Single, &#8216;Party Like You&#8217; With Romantic Music Video","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"11\/04\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"For Jason Owens there's no better party than chilling at home with his wife - that's made clear in his new single and video, 'Party Like You'.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Jason-Owens-Party-Like-You-art.png?fit=720%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Jason-Owens-Party-Like-You-art.png?fit=720%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Jason-Owens-Party-Like-You-art.png?fit=720%2C720&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Jason-Owens-Party-Like-You-art.png?fit=720%2C720&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-09.17.31.png?fit=2110%2C1400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}