A veritable tsunami of musicality and soaring Grace vocals almost overwhelms emotionally -- showing Grace's incredible and wonderful maturing as an artist. Production is off-the-charts great too!
I allways liked all genres of good music but the last time i even went to a concert was almost 20 years ago back in my teen years but since then not been really interested that much in music. Then one day in 2017 in a bad phase of my life i stumble almost by accident (tho today i know it was meant to be) upon this agt audition from a year prior of a young 12 year old singer songwriter wearing these flashy yellow pants with a smile that lightened that whole theater, all shy and nervous and vulnerable, but what really got me was that phrase "i mean, miraclez can happen, so possibly" i knew thats what i was needing to hear that day. And then all of a sudden when Simon asks "what are you gonna sing?" She looks at him with a confident look saying "i'm singing an original" and the look on his face when she says that, something that no one had dared ever before on Agt was priceless. I hear her singing...and right there i knew she was different, her music, her voice was like nothing else...and she keeps surprising us every time...whennever she drops a new song its like she tells us...u thought u had seen it all? How about this? She flabberstaggers us every single time. Like u so well said, we are still trying to figure out what genre of music its hers, but we all know in the end that she doesnt fit in any as she is slowly creating her own very distinctive genre and slowly finding her way, finding her music...and boy, do we love it! In 2018 i had the chance (thanks to a group of amazing fanderwaals that came togetter to make that possible) to fly to the States to attznd a concert of hers in Utica...and i can tell you her energy, her love for the music can be felt and is so contageous she really creates this connection with people without even needing to make any extraordinary effort for that, just being herself, doing what she loves and her love for the stage. I think that even if that concert had lasted the whole night i still wouldnt have ever enough! She is really something. Sorry im dissipating myself too much lol...as for your reaction, you're right on point and this song is just amazing as is the whole ep. I love the naturality she wants to keep in her music, but im happy to see some more reverb and effects to these new songs...not excessively much, just what its needed. Great music, lyrics that tell a story and a unique voice...thats the right recipe to outstanding music, and she does it perfectly
Grace is like a Comet that came out of no where blazing across the sky. Everyone looks up and stares in awe. We don't know how long it will illuminate the sky so we can't turn our heads away.
I'm just overwhelmed by this EP. Every time I think "How much better can she get", she just smacks me in the face and says, "Here's how much better"!! Wow! Your reaction confirms for me that I wasn't just being dramatic! Thanks for the awesome reaction!
Great reaction again dax.isnt she just brilliant.and I've got to say this ,I was a huge fan of queen,queen worked hard,early days they bought out two albums a year .now grace ,since agt her work load is amazing,two headline tours ,one with image dragons,and Florence and the machine.plus school work ,TV appearances ,charity work as well.there are no words to describe this young women because it hasn't been invented yet .English John.
The instrumentation and arrangement in this song, for me, have a definite George Harrison vibe, like it would fit comfortably on his All Things Must Pass album. At 15, she is already writing at this high level, and I am just blown away at the variety of vocal and instrumental textures she uses here. This girl is on her way to becoming a major force in music, and I predict many Grammys in her future.
I forgot to mention that I went to that concert in LA at the El Rey (the performance for your previous reaction to this song). Last time I had seen Grace "live" was at her headline show in Las Vegas ("AGT Live"). Wow, what a difference! There was an opening act for Grace. I can't remember her name, but she was around 25 and quite a good singer. Sang a half-dozen songs or so. There was a half-hour break before Grace came on--and, when she finally did, the place immediately took on the atmosphere of a rock concert. The air was electric, and Grace's energy was palpable. She's really a fabulous performer and knows how to work an audience. Don't ever miss the chance to see her "live," if you get the opportunity.
You outdid yourself. This has got to be the best reaction to Grace ever. Everything you said was right on the money. There's a reason I've been following Grace's career and I wish I had your way of wording things because it's a confirmation of what I feel about her, and her music. Can't wait to hear your reaction to Gucci Shoes. Soooooo different. There's a part on that song that always gives me chills. Thanks again sir. Excellent, excellent, and excellent.
Thanks very much, Trip! But I'm afraid that I fell apart on Gucci Shoes and simply couldn't explain myself, I was so taken away by the experimentation. Lovely Grace surprised the heck out of me. LOL Love that girl!
After "Just the Beginning" and "Clearly," I was beginning to wonder if Grace's new music would ever make me cry again, but as I listened to this, the tears started to flow. This is a masterpiece. Sorry just to gush. Oh, as far as genres go, I'd suggest jazz fusion. Grace has been saying that she's really liking jazz these days, and I think it shows in her music. Usually, jazz fusion is an amalgamation of jazz and some specific genre like R & B, etc. Where I think Grace's genius lies is that she is fusing jazz with MANY different genres at once. I don't think anyone has done that before.
Hey Larry. Yes to everything you said. The thing that had me crying all the time on Grace’s early music was her absolute vulnerability. It was so overwhelming, and I think it reminded us all about our own vulnerabilities. She has kept that to a large degree, but some songs, like this one, really pull it back out again. Thanks my friend!
Interesting: Jazz fusion. In my comment I joked that it could be "Alternative Grace". But more seriously, what about alternative fusion? Just a thought.
I don’t know, Neil. I’m just thinking we have to come up with a whole different creative title for the new genre that she is creating, something that does not refer back to anything or refer to a combination of anything. It simply captures her soul and expressiveness. Don’t know
@@neilmikesell6075 Maybe we should just say that Grace can't be pigeonholed at all. Maybe we should just call her music "eclectic," combining aspects of all genres in her own unique way. TBH, Grace's music and style sound like no others. As Simon said, "Grace is a pioneer; she's that important."
Intergalactic rock. She literally takes you out of this world. I get lost every time I hear her. But in all seriousness I’m with you in the fact that she has the ability 2 mix it all together and completely make it all her own. Great reaction as usual my friend!!
Grace is becoming a wizard in the studio. I love the use of horns during the second half, and is that a theremin I hear? And this is unprecedented because up till now I've always preferred her live performance of a song because of the raw energy and excitement she generates but I agree, this is actually better. And did you get a chill up your spine when she sang that last "have fun"? It morphed into something like a primal scream. She has said in a previous interview she hasn't been fully expressing herself because she doesn't feel the time is right for a dramatic change but I think this is her transitioning into who she wants to be as an artist. And Gucci Shoes is more than a transition; it's absolutely compelling even though it's only about two minutes long and if this is her new direction I am very excited. And she's still only 15!
A dramatic change indeed, James! Wow! This whole EP he has a new direction and delving down even deeper into the soul of Grace. I simply can’t wait for even more music by her. Thanks my friend.
I called it a "steel guitar," but I think you're right that it was a theremin, and its timbre was set to sound like a steel guitar. It's a neat instrument (there's even a concerto that's been written for it), but I think now when you hear it, the tones are made by a slide bar on a keyboard. On sophisticated keyboards, you can make those glissandi even without a slide bar.
Hi The Daxter- great reaction as usual. I really love the live stage performance of this song, but this version also shows Grace’s artistry and creativity. Check out her jazzy and acoustic version of USB at a recent charity event (Trevor Project).
If you are going to do another reaction to UR So Beautiful you should do it to her recent live acoustic jazzy performance at the Trevor Project. Once again showing she has just begun to find her style
Well it is called the Grace effect , how to put that into a lane of music you can't , The It place is called the Grace effect , so maybe that lane should be called Effective ,LOL I don't know Because she relates to all in every tune with personal life in site , The Texas Gent
Dax She is first of all completely accessible and up front unlike anybody else in the industry. She exposes her inner feelings and thoughts, her methodology into everything to do with her journey in music and life,. No pretenses just laid bare for all to see. . It is like she is related to you by blood . Her messages ( songs ) are most importantly soul to soul, Emphatically she penetrates your heart And once inside it is just you and her personal, intimate. A spiritual eye to eye if you will. or simply She is the true spirit of music , the essence of empathy itself. I had to sweat a little on this one LOL thumbs up and I agree with you.
Strong all the way through. A nice touch is how the mood is set by the opening guitar chords, a slight variation on the classic 3 chord Rock 'n Roll ballad
Well...Super Exexcellent! I am right back to my opinion that with Grace, live version or studio version, are rarely, if ever similar, and are rarely, if ever, better than each other. They are simply brilliant each on their own. (To further illustrate the point, I agree with Robert Tausworthe that the live version of UR So Beautiful at the Trevor Project is exceptional!) And to throw an added piece to this puzzle of how do we describe Grace's music, she co-produces all her stuff. An absolute musical genius! As to a genre, how about "Alternative-Grace"?
Neil, I think you and Robert have convinced me that I’m going to have to do a reaction on absolutely every single performance by Grace, because each performance is sine qua non. The fact that Grace coproduces actually makes sense, since there seems to be no diminution of quality and experience. Thanks for that!
“Live version or studio version are simply brilliant each on their own” what a great way to say exactly what is true with these songs. With the live you first of all get to see her in person and also her being emotional and dynamic right in front of your face but with the studio version you get to hear every note she sings clearly and all the nuances of the music that she wants in the songs better then maybe you wouldn’t be able to in the live version
Ha Ha! The look on your face as the song begins to explode is the look I've seen before! It was 1967 and me and my cousin were just putting St. Pepper's on the console stereo that sat in our kitchen. The look on your face was exactly the look on my cousin's face! It looks like you just heard "A Day In The Life" for the first time. The same jarring changes in meter and melody; the same knife twisting lyrics; the same crashing crescendo that pulls you into another world. I look at your face, Dax, and it's like looking into a mirror at my own. As this EP washed over me, I was pulled into a different world. One thing that gets me about Grace is how she slaps you in the face with her phrasing. That line "You didn't call" where she chops it off abruptly with absolutely no embellishment or frills. That's just genius at work. The same with the abrupt stoppage of the music and effects where she sings dry with only the drum. That just sounds about as lonely as anything I've ever heard. She actually sounds as if she's alone in a sparsely furnished room. Then the huge build up at the end where she is angrily screaming out "Have Fun!" Then the surrender of resignation at the end with the melancholy guitar that just drops off without resolving. Just genius. There is no other word for this girl and what she's creating on an almost weekly rate.
Wiley, I seem to get that LOOK a lot with Grace. 🤓 Ditto to everything you said, and yes, her music rates up there with Pepper and Dark Side and others already. Great story about your cousin! I wish I had as eloquently expressed what she did with this song as you did, including the stoppages and silence and drums, etc. I find that it is quite difficult to both emotionally feel a song and analyze it at the same time in one sitting. But it IS fun, and I can always depend on people like you to help flesh it out. Anyway, thanks very much my friend!
A cornucopia of sound is how i describe much of her new work. With headphones you can pick out the subtleties and nuances that are in her earlier studio work. And like many of her songs the lyrics and the pacing carry you along and it is hard to get off until the song finishes.
Dax, I was thrilled when you mentioned Robert Johnson in this reaction. Recently, when I visited Mississippi, there was a sign that said, "Welcome to Mississippi, birthplace of America's music!" The sign was referring to the blues, of course, and the blues are all about making it personal! For a while now, ever since Grace did Leon Bridge's "River, " I have been thinking of her as a spiritual heir to the music of Robert Johnson. I know it sounds strange comparing a sixteen year old white girl to the most original of the great delta blues artists, but music doesn't care about age or skin color. Here is what Bob Dylan has to say about Robert Johnson's music in his book Chronicles: Volume One: "I fixated on every song and wondered how Johnson did it. Songwriting for him was some highly sophisticated business. The compositions seemed to come right out of his mouth and not his memory. Johnson's words made my nerves quiver like piano wires. They were so elemental in meaning and feeling. When he sings about icicles hanging on a tree it gives me the chills, or about milk turning blue, it made me nauseous, and I wondered how he did that. 'The stuff I got'll bust your brains out' he sings. Johnson is serious, like the scorched earth. I wanted to be like that too." In an interview discussing his album "Rough and Rowdy Ways," Dylan says, "Robert Johnson was one of the most inventive geniuses of all time. But he probably had no audience to speak of. He was so far ahead of his time that we still haven't caught up with him. His status today couldn't be any higher. Yet in his day, his songs must have confused people. It just goes to show you that great people follow their own path." Grace is also following her own path. Her music moves us because, as you noted, it manages to be both personal and universal. This was one of your best reactions! Thank you!
For me, Thomas, it is by no means strange to be comparing this particular young white girl to the Delta blues artists. She reaches in and grabs you the way they did, including Robert Johnson, whose music I personally refer to as muddy soul. I have even more respect for Dylan after reading the quote you gave concerning his comments about Johnson. Something I’ve been giving a lot of thought to for a few decades is the occurrence of an individual genius on the human landscape. It’s almost inexplicable, and attributed, I think, to absolute individual independence - so completely thoroughgoing that expression and vision are unique and unsullied. For these geniuses, life is utterly personal, but not narcissistic. Shakespeare, Beethoven, Johnson, Grace. Grace is in the process of creating something unique in music, completely oblivious to the rules of the game. It’s so incredibly exciting to watch and listen to. I am grateful that it is happening in my lifetime. And I know you are too! Thanks very much, my friend!
I wish it was Melissa on the guitar. I wonder how much contact Grace has with Simon after she produces new music, if at all, since he was the first to have a vision of her future. He obviously saw her as a future Pop Queen and really other than one or two songs the majority of Grace's songs are far from pop. Moonlight wasn't really a pop song.
Melissa played the guitar on the recording Cal 🔥 She posted it on her IG stories the day of the album's release 👏 👏 And it's also Nolan Frank who plays the trumpet 😊
That's right Cal. Grace didn't do it, but Melissa wrote on November 22 "Thanks & love to @idovstheworld & @gracevanderwaal for having me play 🎸 on this jam 🖤 🤗". Nolan Frank posted a photo in the studio on August 20 in Phoenix "Last night in the studio with @gracevanderwaal and @idovstheworld"
Hi Dax. Great reviews of Grace and her songs. I'm a big fan since AGT days and have followed her ever since. I agree her music is personal and emotional, voice has character, and people can identify with her emotions. You're right on. With that said, no one is perfect. There is always room for improvement. Here are a few of my observations in no particular order. 1. She needs to enunciate words better at certain points in her songs. It sometimes is hard to hear what she is saying. 2. She typically sings in a narrow range. Her voice has gotten deeper. I'd like to see her learn to explore and train her voice to explore higher octaves, falsetto occasionally. A voice coach could help with that. It would add even more character to her singing. 3. I miss the inspirational lyrics she used to write. SMMTT, Light the Zky, Clay, Florets, etc. They are all commentaries on how we can be our best! That's what made her famous initially. No one else can write like that. She now as a young adult, turned to relationships and heartbreak. Very personal...a good thing, but cliche in a way. All young female artists sing about these topics, so it does not differentiate her like before. These are more poplike. I'd like to see her incorporate again what got her here. Songs like Lungs, Darkness keeps Chasing Me, and Stray are very personal and artistic and are genius, and not teen angst songs. These are brilliant! I suppose artists evolve, as did the Beatles from happy love to dark topics. I cant argue against the emotions of life changing, but I hope she doesnt neglect where she came from. With all that said, I love her new album! Thanks for your analyses.
Thoughtful analysis, Ron. I also have been worrying that we’re not going to get the inspirational lyrics and tone of the early work. I wouldn’t want Grace to feel stodgy, but as I’ve said before many times, I enjoy optimistic and soul inspiring lyrics and tone. I hope that she can meld her edginess with the personal and inspirational in the months and years to come. Thanks very much for offering this analysis. I know you care about her and her music.
I don't know what is happening in the Indie music scene right now. Grace is the only female artist I've heard in the last 50 years who has been producing songs along the lines of Pink Floyd, City and Gucci to me is pretty close to some Floyd type songs. The band that Sia was with in her early career did some interesting things but this stuff Grace is doing is near Floydy but as Floyd would do an album theme Grace is just doing random experiments
Hallo DaX, Grace released music videos (äähm, life performances of cause) from City and Poser hours ago. Please do all of us a favor and react to them.. It's way worthwhile! Music is different, Grace is different, Setting is theatrical, You get it..
Little to add to your comments Dax, of which I almost completely agree. Just say that I almost like the live version more. But it's only for certain drums passages that sound simple and misplaced to me. Not all the drums, but some key strokes maybe Grace wanted to shape them like that, but that's exactly what I think has lost some kick respect to the live version
Hi Dax It’s the first time I’ve reacted to you. and although I agree with most of your reviews about grace. this album is far too over produced! far too much background music and effects which is not needed. grace does not need “polishing” you loose the ‘true power’ of her voice and feeling and empathy that you get when you hear her live nothing else is needed so why try and improve it. Its so typical when a song is recorded. so much of the original sound and strength is lost same as trying to capture a photograph of a landscape you will never capture the true feeling and scale of being there. no matter how good it is
reflexxtr I think a few others have felt the same way as you about the production. I actually enjoyed it, as I said, but I can see how some would not like it and just want that pure raw grace talent. I’m glad you decided to comment. Hope you keep doing so. Thanks!
Jamil if you have ever seen her perform live you would understand. not many artists in this world are able to portray emotion like she does on stage grace is a phenomenon unique..one of a kind.
I'm sorry but this version is a little over produced for my taste. I did like the trumpet. But the crescendo at the end just seems chaotic. I do like the live version of this song. Y'all know I love Grace. I think this is my first time being critical of anything she's done. That's just my lame opinion. I may change my mind in the future and end up loving this. ✌️😎 Edit: I came back since I just saw her new live mv. It's absolutely incredible! That's what I had in mind. Just saying.✋😎🤚 Breezy
I'm 100 agree with you,I love the loud drums in the live version ,and miss the Melissa's solo at the end ,in the EP the guitar solo it's a little flat but anyways Grace voice it's so perfect live and studio version
I think you will find little argument in Grace's live performances, but I love the clarity of her vocals on this. Lack of visuals (Grace bouncing around the stage) helps to enhance the audio as well. JMO Course I'll watch either...up next
Funny; I got this literally opposite to over-produced or chaotic. To me this was as absolutely perfect and pure gem as a studio recording with instruments other than human vocals can ever get.
@@SJLtalentpicks Some think that they have to have full control over everything. After 70 years I've learned to just let it flow and see where Grace goes.
I allways liked all genres of good music but the last time i even went to a concert was almost 20 years ago back in my teen years but since then not been really interested that much in music. Then one day in 2017 in a bad phase of my life i stumble almost by accident (tho today i know it was meant to be) upon this agt audition from a year prior of a young 12 year old singer songwriter wearing these flashy yellow pants with a smile that lightened that whole theater, all shy and nervous and vulnerable, but what really got me was that phrase "i mean, miraclez can happen, so possibly" i knew thats what i was needing to hear that day. And then all of a sudden when Simon asks "what are you gonna sing?" She looks at him with a confident look saying "i'm singing an original" and the look on his face when she says that, something that no one had dared ever before on Agt was priceless. I hear her singing...and right there i knew she was different, her music, her voice was like nothing else...and she keeps surprising us every time...whennever she drops a new song its like she tells us...u thought u had seen it all? How about this? She flabberstaggers us every single time. Like u so well said, we are still trying to figure out what genre of music its hers, but we all know in the end that she doesnt fit in any as she is slowly creating her own very distinctive genre and slowly finding her way, finding her music...and boy, do we love it! In 2018 i had the chance (thanks to a group of amazing fanderwaals that came togetter to make that possible) to fly to the States to attznd a concert of hers in Utica...and i can tell you her energy, her love for the music can be felt and is so contageous she really creates this connection with people without even needing to make any extraordinary effort for that, just being herself, doing what she loves and her love for the stage. I think that even if that concert had lasted the whole night i still wouldnt have ever enough! She is really something. Sorry im dissipating myself too much lol...as for your reaction, you're right on point and this song is just amazing as is the whole ep. I love the naturality she wants to keep in her music, but im happy to see some more reverb and effects to these new songs...not excessively much, just what its needed. Great music, lyrics that tell a story and a unique voice...thats the right recipe to outstanding music, and she does it perfectly
Grace is like a Comet that came out of no where blazing across the sky. Everyone looks up and stares in awe. We don't know how long it will illuminate the sky so we can't turn our heads away.
This is the best description of Grace I've heard
I'm just overwhelmed by this EP. Every time I think "How much better can she get", she just smacks me in the face and says, "Here's how much better"!! Wow! Your reaction confirms for me that I wasn't just being dramatic! Thanks for the awesome reaction!
Her voice is like no other!!! Amazing Grace!!! Grace VanderWaal Rocks!!!😎💜💜💜
Great reaction again dax.isnt she just brilliant.and I've got to say this ,I was a huge fan of queen,queen worked hard,early days they bought out two albums a year .now grace ,since agt her work load is amazing,two headline tours ,one with image dragons,and Florence and the machine.plus school work ,TV appearances ,charity work as well.there are no words to describe this young women because it hasn't been invented yet .English John.
Thanks John, and yes to everything you said. BTW, I'll be doing Queen sometime soon, I'm sure. One of my all-time favs!
The instrumentation and arrangement in this song, for me, have a definite George Harrison vibe, like it would fit comfortably on his All Things Must Pass album. At 15, she is already writing at this high level, and I am just blown away at the variety of vocal and instrumental textures she uses here. This girl is on her way to becoming a major force in music, and I predict many Grammys in her future.
I forgot to mention that I went to that concert in LA at the El Rey (the performance for your previous reaction to this song). Last time I had seen Grace "live" was at her headline show in Las Vegas ("AGT Live"). Wow, what a difference! There was an opening act for Grace. I can't remember her name, but she was around 25 and quite a good singer. Sang a half-dozen songs or so. There was a half-hour break before Grace came on--and, when she finally did, the place immediately took on the atmosphere of a rock concert. The air was electric, and Grace's energy was palpable. She's really a fabulous performer and knows how to work an audience. Don't ever miss the chance to see her "live," if you get the opportunity.
Sounds absolutely awesome, Larry! I can’t wait for my daughter and I to go see Grace sometime soon.
You outdid yourself. This has got to be the best reaction to Grace ever. Everything you said was right on the money. There's a reason I've been following Grace's career and I wish I had your way of wording things because it's a confirmation of what I feel about her, and her music.
Can't wait to hear your reaction to Gucci Shoes. Soooooo different. There's a part on that song that always gives me chills. Thanks again sir. Excellent, excellent, and excellent.
Thanks very much, Trip! But I'm afraid that I fell apart on Gucci Shoes and simply couldn't explain myself, I was so taken away by the experimentation. Lovely Grace surprised the heck out of me. LOL Love that girl!
After "Just the Beginning" and "Clearly," I was beginning to wonder if Grace's new music would ever make me cry again, but as I listened to this, the tears started to flow. This is a masterpiece. Sorry just to gush. Oh, as far as genres go, I'd suggest jazz fusion. Grace has been saying that she's really liking jazz these days, and I think it shows in her music. Usually, jazz fusion is an amalgamation of jazz and some specific genre like R & B, etc. Where I think Grace's genius lies is that she is fusing jazz with MANY different genres at once. I don't think anyone has done that before.
Hey Larry. Yes to everything you said. The thing that had me crying all the time on Grace’s early music was her absolute vulnerability. It was so overwhelming, and I think it reminded us all about our own vulnerabilities. She has kept that to a large degree, but some songs, like this one, really pull it back out again. Thanks my friend!
I forgot to add that yes, she is a fusion, but something more than that, and I can’t put my finger on it yet.
Interesting: Jazz fusion. In my comment I joked that it could be "Alternative Grace". But more seriously, what about alternative fusion? Just a thought.
I don’t know, Neil. I’m just thinking we have to come up with a whole different creative title for the new genre that she is creating, something that does not refer back to anything or refer to a combination of anything. It simply captures her soul and expressiveness. Don’t know
@@neilmikesell6075 Maybe we should just say that Grace can't be pigeonholed at all. Maybe we should just call her music "eclectic," combining aspects of all genres in her own unique way. TBH, Grace's music and style sound like no others. As Simon said, "Grace is a pioneer; she's that important."
Intergalactic rock. She literally takes you out of this world. I get lost every time I hear her. But in all seriousness I’m with you in the fact that she has the ability 2 mix it all together and completely make it all her own. Great reaction as usual my friend!!
Grace's voice reaches out and draws you in.
I call her genre, Vanderesque.
You ought to copy write this. I agree she deserves her own genre.
Grace is becoming a wizard in the studio. I love the use of horns during the second half, and is that a theremin I hear? And this is unprecedented because up till now I've always preferred her live performance of a song because of the raw energy and excitement she generates but I agree, this is actually better. And did you get a chill up your spine when she sang that last "have fun"? It morphed into something like a primal scream. She has said in a previous interview she hasn't been fully expressing herself because she doesn't feel the time is right for a dramatic change but I think this is her transitioning into who she wants to be as an artist. And Gucci Shoes is more than a transition; it's absolutely compelling even though it's only about two minutes long and if this is her new direction I am very excited. And she's still only 15!
A dramatic change indeed, James! Wow! This whole EP he has a new direction and delving down even deeper into the soul of Grace. I simply can’t wait for even more music by her. Thanks my friend.
I called it a "steel guitar," but I think you're right that it was a theremin, and its timbre was set to sound like a steel guitar. It's a neat instrument (there's even a concerto that's been written for it), but I think now when you hear it, the tones are made by a slide bar on a keyboard. On sophisticated keyboards, you can make those glissandi even without a slide bar.
I call it Music. Something that I haven't heard a lot of in the past 30 or 40 years.
She should be blowing up the charts.
Oh and by the way this EP will win some awards. You said it perfect the prodution on these tracks are off the charts.
Love Grace's music, this Is new so a few times listening and I will probably love It, onwards and upwards, go Miss Vanderwall on your journey.
Hi The Daxter- great reaction as usual. I really love the live stage performance of this song, but this version also shows Grace’s artistry and creativity. Check out her jazzy and acoustic version of USB at a recent charity event (Trevor Project).
This is how to blossom from adolescence. An epic right of passage song. Scream her way out!
First! Grace VanderWaal Rocks!!!😎💜💜💜
As I said before, I like to love the different versions of all her songs that she does.
Call it Fusion. I hear so many music genres in her music.
Fusion is actually pretty darn good.
@@daxmusix Agreed.
Okay, calling her special isn’t working. Her music is so mystically beautiful. She’s the grand master of melody.
yes and melody these days in modern music is rare
If you are going to do another reaction to UR So Beautiful you should do it to her recent live acoustic jazzy performance at the Trevor Project. Once again showing she has just begun to find her style
That was beautiful. IMO.
OMG What an absolute tsunami of musicality 🤣🤣
hello this will give me happy thoughts as I go down to sleep. Thank you for the link to Today and tomorrow. I really loved it.
Thx Linda. Glad you did! 🤓
Well it is called the Grace effect , how to put that into a lane of music you can't , The It place is called the Grace effect , so maybe that lane should be called Effective ,LOL I don't know Because she relates to all in every tune with personal life in site , The Texas Gent
.. already tsunami 😎
Dax She is first of all completely accessible and up front unlike anybody else in the industry. She exposes her inner feelings and thoughts, her methodology into everything to do with her journey in music and life,. No pretenses just laid bare for all to see. . It is like she is related to you by blood . Her messages ( songs ) are most importantly soul to soul, Emphatically she penetrates your heart And once inside it is just you and her personal, intimate. A spiritual eye to eye if you will. or simply She is the true spirit of music , the essence of empathy itself. I had to sweat a little on this one LOL thumbs up and I agree with you.
Grace is her own genre.
You’ve got me thinking about letters volume one so much that I might do a reaction to the entire album, which I’ve never done
It’s absolute genius
I miss her putting out new music so much that I’m going through withdrawals, which I think you are, too, Linda
Gucci shoes and poser are so next level. I cant wait to see your reaction
Strong all the way through. A nice touch is how the mood is set by the opening guitar chords, a slight variation on the classic 3 chord Rock 'n Roll ballad
She does the production of all her music herself
Well...Super Exexcellent! I am right back to my opinion that with Grace, live version or studio version, are rarely, if ever similar, and are rarely, if ever, better than each other. They are simply brilliant each on their own. (To further illustrate the point, I agree with Robert Tausworthe that the live version of UR So Beautiful at the Trevor Project is exceptional!) And to throw an added piece to this puzzle of how do we describe Grace's music, she co-produces all her stuff. An absolute musical genius! As to a genre, how about "Alternative-Grace"?
Neil, I think you and Robert have convinced me that I’m going to have to do a reaction on absolutely every single performance by Grace, because each performance is sine qua non.
The fact that Grace coproduces actually makes sense, since there seems to be no diminution of quality and experience. Thanks for that!
@@daxmusix The Trevor Project is a game changer.
“Live version or studio version are simply brilliant each on their own” what a great way to say exactly what is true with these songs. With the live you first of all get to see her in person and also her being emotional and dynamic right in front of your face but with the studio version you get to hear every note she sings clearly and all the nuances of the music that she wants in the songs better then maybe you wouldn’t be able to in the live version
@@AnthonyMinsky Thanks!
Folk jazz is her genre
Ha Ha! The look on your face as the song begins to explode is the look I've seen before! It was 1967 and me and my cousin were just putting St. Pepper's on the console stereo that sat in our kitchen. The look on your face was exactly the look on my cousin's face! It looks like you just heard "A Day In The Life" for the first time. The same jarring changes in meter and melody; the same knife twisting lyrics; the same crashing crescendo that pulls you into another world. I look at your face, Dax, and it's like looking into a mirror at my own. As this EP washed over me, I was pulled into a different world. One thing that gets me about Grace is how she slaps you in the face with her phrasing. That line "You didn't call" where she chops it off abruptly with absolutely no embellishment or frills. That's just genius at work. The same with the abrupt stoppage of the music and effects where she sings dry with only the drum. That just sounds about as lonely as anything I've ever heard. She actually sounds as if she's alone in a sparsely furnished room. Then the huge build up at the end where she is angrily screaming out "Have Fun!" Then the surrender of resignation at the end with the melancholy guitar that just drops off without resolving. Just genius. There is no other word for this girl and what she's creating on an almost weekly rate.
Wiley, I seem to get that LOOK a lot with Grace. 🤓 Ditto to everything you said, and yes, her music rates up there with Pepper and Dark Side and others already. Great story about your cousin!
I wish I had as eloquently expressed what she did with this song as you did, including the stoppages and silence and drums, etc. I find that it is quite difficult to both emotionally feel a song and analyze it at the same time in one sitting. But it IS fun, and I can always depend on people like you to help flesh it out. Anyway, thanks very much my friend!
I love her a bit TOO much, hahaha
A cornucopia of sound is how i describe much of her new work. With headphones you can pick out the subtleties and nuances that are in her earlier studio work.
And like many of her songs the lyrics and the pacing carry you along and it is hard to get off until the song finishes.
Cornucopia is perfect, J.
Dax, I was thrilled when you mentioned Robert Johnson in this reaction. Recently, when I visited Mississippi, there was a sign that said, "Welcome to Mississippi, birthplace of America's music!" The sign was referring to the blues, of course, and the blues are all about making it personal! For a while now, ever since Grace did Leon Bridge's "River, " I have been thinking of her as a spiritual heir to the music of Robert Johnson. I know it sounds strange comparing a sixteen year old white girl to the most original of the great delta blues artists, but music doesn't care about age or skin color.
Here is what Bob Dylan has to say about Robert Johnson's music in his book Chronicles: Volume One:
"I fixated on every song and wondered how Johnson did it. Songwriting for him was some highly sophisticated business. The compositions seemed to come right out of his mouth and not his memory. Johnson's words made my nerves quiver like piano wires. They were so elemental in meaning and feeling. When he sings about icicles hanging on a tree it gives me the chills, or about milk turning blue, it made me nauseous, and I wondered how he did that. 'The stuff I got'll bust your brains out' he sings. Johnson is serious, like the scorched earth. I wanted to be like that too."
In an interview discussing his album "Rough and Rowdy Ways," Dylan says, "Robert Johnson was one of the most inventive geniuses of all time. But he probably had no audience to speak of. He was so far ahead of his time that we still haven't caught up with him. His status today couldn't be any higher. Yet in his day, his songs must have confused people. It just goes to show you that great people follow their own path."
Grace is also following her own path. Her music moves us because, as you noted, it manages to be both personal and universal. This was one of your best reactions! Thank you!
For me, Thomas, it is by no means strange to be comparing this particular young white girl to the Delta blues artists. She reaches in and grabs you the way they did, including Robert Johnson, whose music I personally refer to as muddy soul. I have even more respect for Dylan after reading the quote you gave concerning his comments about Johnson.
Something I’ve been giving a lot of thought to for a few decades is the occurrence of an individual genius on the human landscape. It’s almost inexplicable, and attributed, I think, to absolute individual independence - so completely thoroughgoing that expression and vision are unique and unsullied. For these geniuses, life is utterly personal, but not narcissistic.
Shakespeare, Beethoven, Johnson, Grace.
Grace is in the process of creating something unique in music, completely oblivious to the rules of the game. It’s so incredibly exciting to watch and listen to. I am grateful that it is happening in my lifetime. And I know you are too! Thanks very much, my friend!
SNARKO SNARGE SNURKS!
I wish it was Melissa on the guitar.
I wonder how much contact Grace has with Simon after she produces new music, if at all, since he was the first to have a vision of her future. He obviously saw her as a future Pop Queen and really other than one or two songs the majority of Grace's songs are far from pop. Moonlight wasn't really a pop song.
Melissa played the guitar on the recording Cal 🔥 She posted it on her IG stories the day of the album's release 👏 👏 And it's also Nolan Frank who plays the trumpet 😊
@@GasparMadera I must have missed that. Grace never posted anything from the studio that I've seen other than her and the producer
That's right Cal. Grace didn't do it, but Melissa wrote on November 22 "Thanks & love to @idovstheworld & @gracevanderwaal for having me play 🎸 on this jam 🖤 🤗". Nolan Frank posted a photo in the studio on August 20 in Phoenix "Last night in the studio with @gracevanderwaal and @idovstheworld"
Hi Dax. Great reviews of Grace and her songs. I'm a big fan since AGT days and have followed her ever since. I agree her music is personal and emotional, voice has character, and people can identify with her emotions. You're right on.
With that said, no one is perfect. There is always room for improvement. Here are a few of my observations in no particular order.
1. She needs to enunciate words better at certain points in her songs. It sometimes is hard to hear what she is saying.
2. She typically sings in a narrow range. Her voice has gotten deeper. I'd like to see her learn to explore and train her voice to explore higher octaves, falsetto occasionally. A voice coach could help with that. It would add even more character to her singing.
3. I miss the inspirational lyrics she used to write. SMMTT, Light the Zky, Clay, Florets, etc. They are all commentaries on how we can be our best! That's what made her famous initially. No one else can write like that.
She now as a young adult, turned to relationships and heartbreak. Very personal...a good thing, but cliche in a way. All young female artists sing about these topics, so it does not differentiate her like before. These are more poplike. I'd like to see her incorporate again what got her here. Songs like Lungs, Darkness keeps Chasing Me, and Stray are very personal and artistic and are genius, and not teen angst songs. These are brilliant!
I suppose artists evolve, as did the Beatles from happy love to dark topics. I cant argue against the emotions of life changing, but I hope she doesnt neglect where she came from.
With all that said, I love her new album!
Thanks for your analyses.
Thoughtful analysis, Ron. I also have been worrying that we’re not going to get the inspirational lyrics and tone of the early work. I wouldn’t want Grace to feel stodgy, but as I’ve said before many times, I enjoy optimistic and soul inspiring lyrics and tone. I hope that she can meld her edginess with the personal and inspirational in the months and years to come. Thanks very much for offering this analysis. I know you care about her and her music.
You didn't mention Johnny Cash! True originals who defy genre. Grace VanderWaal and Johnny Cash
I don't know what is happening in the Indie music scene right now. Grace is the only female artist I've heard in the last 50 years who has been producing songs along the lines of Pink Floyd, City and Gucci to me is pretty close to some Floyd type songs. The band that Sia was with in her early career did some interesting things but this stuff Grace is doing is near Floydy but as Floyd would do an album theme Grace is just doing random experiments
Hey dax u should check out the live performances of pose and the city on her channel its great 🔥
Hallo DaX,
Grace released music videos (äähm, life performances of cause) from City and Poser hours ago.
Please do all of us a favor and react to them..
It's way worthwhile!
Music is different,
Grace is different,
Setting is theatrical,
You get it..
Andreas Heidepriem Thx!
Little to add to your comments Dax, of which I almost completely agree. Just say that I almost like the live version more. But it's only for certain drums passages that sound simple and misplaced to me. Not all the drums, but some key strokes maybe Grace wanted to shape them like that, but that's exactly what I think has lost some kick respect to the live version
Thanks Gasper!
Glabberfasted!
genre of Grace period ................Mozart LOL the song is not fire it is Dante's inferno in of course a musical heat sort of way. Mozart
mozart
Hi Dax It’s the first time I’ve reacted to you. and although I agree with most of your reviews about grace. this album is far too over produced! far too much background music and effects which is not needed. grace does not need “polishing” you loose the ‘true power’ of her voice and feeling and empathy that you get when you hear her live nothing else is needed so why try and improve it. Its so typical when a song is recorded. so much of the original sound and strength is lost same as trying to capture a photograph of a landscape you will never capture the true feeling and scale of being there. no matter how good it is
reflexxtr I think a few others have felt the same way as you about the production. I actually enjoyed it, as I said, but I can see how some would not like it and just want that pure raw grace talent. I’m glad you decided to comment. Hope you keep doing so. Thanks!
Reflex, I believe you're overthinking the technical details. Just drop the megaphone and absorb the mood--you'll feel better!
Jamil if you have ever seen her perform live you would understand. not many artists in this world are able to portray emotion like she does on stage grace is a phenomenon unique..one of a kind.
I'm sorry but this version is a little over produced for my taste. I did like the trumpet. But the crescendo at the end just seems chaotic. I do like the live version of this song. Y'all know I love Grace. I think this is my first time being critical of anything she's done. That's just my lame opinion. I may change my mind in the future and end up loving this.
✌️😎
Edit: I came back since I just saw her new live mv. It's absolutely incredible! That's what I had in mind. Just saying.✋😎🤚
Breezy
I'm 100 agree with you,I love the loud drums in the live version ,and miss the Melissa's solo at the end ,in the EP the guitar solo it's a little flat but anyways Grace voice it's so perfect live and studio version
I think you will find little argument in Grace's live performances, but I love the clarity of her vocals on this. Lack of visuals (Grace bouncing around the stage) helps to enhance the audio as well. JMO Course I'll watch either...up next
The bottom line is, this is what Grace wanted this version to sound like.
Funny; I got this literally opposite to over-produced or chaotic. To me this was as absolutely perfect and pure gem as a studio recording with instruments other than human vocals can ever get.
@@SJLtalentpicks Some think that they have to have full control over everything. After 70 years I've learned to just let it flow and see where Grace goes.