song reviews
Social Media targeted at influencers and trending topics in the music universe.
Why Brandon Lake's 'Count 'Em' is the Anthem for Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse
When Brandon Lake’s song ‘Count ’Em’ hit the airwaves, it landed differently. It wasn't just another worship anthem; for those who have survived narcissistic abuse, it felt like a war cry. If you've endured the isolating terror of a smear campaign, covert abuse, or the systemic silencing that follows, you know this song is more than music. It’s a ledger. It's the validation you fought for. It’s a refusal to let an abuser's gaslighting rewrite your history.
By Sunshine Firecracker5 months ago in Beat
Truth in Music: How Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake Shaped My Hallelujah After Lancaster County Prison
There are roads in life you don’t choose to drive. For me, that road led to court-ordered drug and alcohol treatment—punishment from false arrests that had nothing to do with who I truly was.
By Sunshine Firecracker5 months ago in Beat
Brandon Lake, Jelly Roll, and the Truth of a "Hard Fought Hallelujah"
I didn’t expect a worship song to come wrapped in southern grit. But when Jelly Roll stepped onto a track with Brandon Lake, Hard Fought Hallelujah, something clicked deep inside me. Their voices—one from the church stage, one from country rap’s rough roads—met in a place that felt like home to me: the battlefield between despair and hope.
By Sunshine Firecracker5 months ago in Beat
Slumerican Symphony: Yelawolf, Redemption, and the New Southern Outlaws
Part I: The Architect - Michael "Yelawolf" Atha Gadsden to Antioch - Forging an Identity The artistic identity of Michael Wayne Atha, professionally known as Yelawolf, is not a constructed persona but the direct, almost inevitable, result of a life defined by instability and cultural collision. His biography is the foundational mythos of the Slumerican movement, and to understand the latter, one must first deconstruct the former. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, to a mother who was only 16, with a father who "was nowhere to be found," Atha's childhood was a crucible of constant motion. The family roamed so frequently that by the time he left high school, he had attended 15 different schools, a nomadic existence that instilled in him a relentless forward momentum, a "shark-like quality — to swim is to breathe".
By Sunshine Firecracker5 months ago in Beat
Dear Brother: Nahko’s Radical Love Song for Healing Broken Bonds
The first lines of Nahko's "Dear Brother" aren't abstract poetry. They're a voicemail you should have answered: “Dear brother, when you gonna call back your mother? Thinks you’re sleeping in the gutter, We both know you can do better.”
By Sunshine Firecracker5 months ago in Beat
Progressively Covered
Introduction I wanted to do a playlist of progressive music that was maybe a littel different, and then remembered that Yes had covered Simon and Garfunkel's "America", and thought what about some unexpected covers of songs by artists that could be classed in the Progressive Universe, and four immediately came to mind.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Beat
🤡Clowns🤡
Introduction I haven't done much in BEAT for a bit, and despite being a Top Creator in the community, I have not had a Top Story for years, despite getting a lot of reads outside of Vocal, but they don't seem to like my taste in music any more, I am obviously too good for them 🤡.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Beat
Morrey Banks: Architect of the Feel-Good Groove
In a genre saturated with formulas and repetitive drops, few artists manage to carve out a space that feels both fresh and familiar. But Morrey Banks is doing just that—and more. With a signature style that fuses House, Funk, Disco, and laid-back Future grooves, Morrey Banks is quickly emerging as a standout name in the world of dance music.
By mysoundMusic5 months ago in Beat
Faceless. Fearless. Beaux Deity.
In a world where fame often overshadows the art, one artist is turning the spotlight away from themselves—and toward the work that truly matters. Faceless. Fearless. Uncompromising. Meet Beaux Deity, the anonymous music and visual artist who’s rewriting the rules of identity, artistry, and creative independence in the digital era.
By mysoundMusic5 months ago in Beat
Criminally Underrated: My Case for Giving Ab Liva His Flowers by NWO Sparrow
When I talk about rappers who never quite get the spotlight they deserve, Ab Liva is one of the first names that comes to mind. The thing about hip hop is that it’s built on moments. One feature, one verse, one hook can change everything for an artist. For me, my first Ab Liva moment was back in 2014 on Pusha T’s solo album “My Name Is My Name.” The record “Suicide” had already hooked me with its dark, cold Pharell production and Pusha’s trademark precision. But when Ab Liva stepped in on his verse, it was like the temperature in the room dropped a few more degrees. His voice had this calm menace, a control that made you rewind his part just to catch the little details in the way he put words together. I remember thinking, “This guy just walked on the track like he owned it.” Even with Pusha T holding his own, Ab Liva’s verse felt like the one that stuck to your ribs after the song ended.
By NWO SPARROW5 months ago in Beat
