Hey, Fam.
It’s me again. Been away for a bit. What have I missed? 🙂
This post is going to be slightly different from the previous ones, so you’ll have to excuse my striking the “personal note”. But I feel like I need to offload some emotions here.
And I wouldn’t even be back so soon if it wasn’t for Keith Urban. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “OK, boomer”. But before you start judging my music taste, let me give you a few reasons why ‘Wild Hearts’ is a song we all need right now.
PART 77 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
Just in case you haven’t heard: Melbourne is on its sixth lockdown and NSW could be off-limits until Christmas. Occasionally, Brisbane joins the party for an express isolation weekend. Even the nation’s capital, Canberra, has found itself in its first confinement. Oh, and travelling within the country has never been more messed up. So developing some form of a COVID-pass (already successfully implemented in Europe) is the trending topic these days.
What that means for people’s mental health is pretty obvious, especially in winter. And what that entails for the music industry is an utter disaster. Gigs, entire tours and festivals are either re-scheduled (again) or totally called off (again). The hope of getting international artists to Australia anytime soon has just become a futuristic dream. And having even just a trace of a fairly stable income is every artist’s wish. Many are not even waiting anymore and have turned to other sources of income to survive. So I guess we all have the right to feel a bit down.
That’s why I’ll take any uplifting release coming from an Aussie act like a lifeline in ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?’. And, thankfully, there have been some awesome ones recently. Amongst them, Keith Urban’s new single ‘Wild Hearts’ that dropped in the third week of August 2021.
I’ve written about the Kiwi/Aussie, Nashville-based artist numerous times on this blog in other contexts (for instance, here or here). You’ll also agree that he’s pretty darn famous for several reasons. So I’ll skip the introductions. I’m also aware of the reactions to country music in certain circles. Let me put it this way – I know heaps of people who would never, not even under duress, admit to liking or listening to this music genre. And because I’m shameless, I’m not afraid to say, “Yes, I DO check out me some country songs once in a while”.
‘Wild Hearts’ is… well, very Keith Urban-esque. It’s a melodic, upbeat song with a catchy chorus and a message that helped me get out of bed on one of those shitty mornings when you feel like sleeping through the entire day. And yes, I’m going to torture you with the lyrics because they are what makes this song stand out for me. They hit home because I’m currently experiencing some form of a premature mid-life crisis and professional burnout. So no matter how non-revolutionary the message is, I just needed to hear it in a song (especially in the second verse and the entire chorus in case of this track).
Check it out here:
It’s a fairly simple concept, right? And it’s not the first time we’re told to pursue dreams, not give up and fulfil our destiny, no matter what obstacles life throws in front of us. But you can’t deny that it does make you feel better. Because Keith is a good storyteller and even better songwriter. So I guarantee that you’ll have the chorus stuck in your head for days now.
There’s no point in my interpreting the song for you. The singer himself breaks down the inspiration behind it in this little vid. And I gotta admit – he chose the perfect timing to release it, at least in my case.
My takeaway here is the advice the artist was given before his career took off, “You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re really unique. And it’ll be your biggest curse until it becomes your biggest blessing”.
Keith and I might not have a lot in common, but it’s good to hear some words of encouragement once in a while. Even if they might sound a little cliché. And whilst I’m not necessarily aspiring to be a rock star, it’s good to hear an uplifting message like that in times of doubt.
That’s all for now. I basically just wanted to check in to say that I’m still here, currently trying to stay afloat. I hope youse all are well, too, given the circumstances.
I promise to be back with more new stuff soon. So, until then, take good care of yourselves, everyone!
Yours truly,
Silly McWiggles
P.S. You’re welcome 🙂
Cover image: the artist’s FB page
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Check out my other posts about singles released by Aussie artists:
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Silly McWiggles. A blog about Aussie music. 