YOU TUBE: https://youtu.be/K58bNNsU2VM
Marching out of the darkness and into the light, Mikey See’s hot new single “Love My Body” doesn’t hesitate to reach right through the stereo and introduce a wicked shot of adrenaline into the veins of anyone within earshot. The opening melody jaggedly unfolds in the form of a piano medley played against the backdrop of a scratchy, modulated percussion. Mikey slinks into view with a bombastic strut that has become his signature move since the release of his debut record this year, and as soon as he starts to sing it becomes overwhelmingly clear that we’re in for a wild, seductive ride that (with any luck) won’t end before we have the chance to get on See’s level and share the same euphoric feeling that he does.
See’s voice scrapes up against the wall of sound that the synthesized instrumentation is creating as a backdrop with an aggressive physicality that has been mostly absent in the R&B/pop crossover singles that I’ve heard over the course of this summer. There are moments in “Love My Body” where it feels like he’s right beside us, whispering these lyrics into our ear rather than singing into a microphone thousands of literal and metaphorical miles from where we are now. As the song grinds towards its midway point, the tension continues to rise and the spacious echo present in the beginning of the track begins to erode right before our very ears. Just when the pressure is about to become unbearable, See sweeps us away from the boiling point in a tizzy of vocal virtuosity that is, simply put, awe-inspiring.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/iammikeysee/
Production-wise, “Love My Body” is as intimate as they come, with almost every muted detailed being emphasized with tremendous grandeur when observed from a close vantage point. I like the way the instruments are scooped in the mix but Mikey See’s voice remains untainted in the final product; it adds a certain contrast that I don’t think would have been possible were the levels balanced more than they are in this instance. It’s a fun listen as a music fan and an absorbing study for any audio enthusiast interested in keeping up with the most exciting trends in the recording industry, regardless of genre.
I’d love to hear Mikey See do an acoustic rendition of “Love My Body” just to see how it would differ from the electrifying piece of modern urban gold that he’s produced here. The bones of this single are premium to say the least, and See appears more than capable of dispatching harmony no matter what the tempo or volume may demand. Having never listened to his work prior to this song and being a fairly difficult critic to impress, I honestly have to say this is one of the more provocative pop songs I’ve had the pleasure of previewing this summer and easily one of the more inspired compositions I’ve studied in a while. He’s got a long way to go before he can claim dominance over the international charts, but “Love My Body” is the perfect way to introduce a curious world to the charismatic identity of Mikey See.
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/track/2UfDvBn3H8B0VaTPFIq8qx
Jamie Morse