After weeks of making difficult choices and waiting in agony, it is now time to announce the results. The song that wins here today will go down in history as the ultimate Music Monday song of 2019. Four finalists duked it out for that title, and they were:
"The Kraken" from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
"History Maker" by Dean Fujioka
"The Search" by NF
"Oliver Queen Suite" from Arrow: Season 1
Nine people voted in round 3 (two of which had to message me their votes thanks to the comments acting goofy), and here's what they chose! Are you ready? Drumroll, please!
"The Kraken" ended up not being chosen by anyone. That surprises me, as the Pirates of the Caribbean scores are widely heralded as being fantastic compositions. At least it made it to the finals. That's what counts. None of us will deny that its intense beats and gritty electric guitar make for a bombastic action track that cannot be described as anything short of epic.
"History Maker" and "Oliver Queen Suite" received 2 votes each. I'm honestly happy that an anime opening song made it this far. It gives me hope that maybe another one will perhaps claim the crown sometime down the road. I personally thought the latter was going to be this year's "Undertale"--a long track presented as the very last song of the year that steals everyone's hearts in the end. It appears that was not the case, but one must acknowledge it is a very moving piece.
That means the song that landed 5 votes and wins the Awards is none other than . . .
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| photo credit: me |
NF isn't your typical rapper. Many members of the rap genre in the "secular" world tend to talk about money, sex, drugs, cars, etc, while dropping swear words every other syllable on top of a boring beat that sounds like garbage. On the other hand, many Christian rappers play it safe and end up sounding decent enough, but kind of boring. They don't bring life to the genre, don't make it creative, don't make it their own playground.
Nate, on the other hand, is the perfect middle ground. You won't hear him swear once, and when he does talk about his money or his car, he does it in a very self-aware way. Like, he knows that what he's doing has been done plenty of times before, and he makes a joke of it. But he doesn't play it safe either. He gets into the gritty, acknowledging that life can sometimes be extremely cruel and the world overwhelmingly dark. He should know: his parents divorced when he was young, his mom's boyfriend physically abused him, and his mom overdosed on drugs and killed herself. He's been submerged in heavy situations that no one should have to deal with.
That's why his songs aren't often pretty, or pretend that things are easy. His music is his therapy. But in putting himself out there, he's been able to help so, so many people. Others who have struggled with depression or suicide or abusive family situations or self-harm--or anything like that--can feel like someone gets it. And that's a powerful thing. He's aware of that too, and he has publicly thanked God for his gift, because he knows its source.
"The Search" is a great example of how he makes rap music his own thing. The music in this particular song is very different, dominated by strings that provide the main beat, with drums and an ethereal choir joining in for the main chorus. His flow is so unique, fluid throughout the entire track. Not one word is wasted. You need to hear the song a few times in order to catch all the lines and their meaning. He's just so freaking talented! One of my favorite parts is still what I shared when I originally posted the song:
"Just think about it for a second, if you look at your face
Every day when you get up and think you'll never be great
You'll never be great, not because you're not, but the hate
Will always find a way to cut you up and murder your faith."
NF also happens to be very underrated. You almost never hear him on the radio, and if he is, it's almost guaranteed to be his song "Let You Down." He has won only two awards. How in the world is that even possible?! I honestly don't know how he hasn't even been nominated for any Grammys or anything. He deserves to be acknowledged more. I know he's not in it for the fame or anything, but I'd like to see him become more well-known.
Thankfully, he at least won the award as the top song of 2019 on my blog. We have some comments here, actually, about what other people had to say about "The Search." Let's check them out!
"From the very first line--a self-addressed question bearing layers of meaning beneath its casual appearance--this song is brilliant in its technical execution, lyrical depth, and (as Preston pointed out) replayability. Some sections still hit me no matter how many times I've heard them.
"'Grabbin' my keepsakes, leavin' my burdens; well, I brought a few with me, I'm not perfect.'
"'The point I'm makin' is the mind is a powerful place, and what you feed it can affect you in a powerful way...' Etc." -Tracey Dyck
"1. Because I just saw Nate perform it live last month and IT SOUNDED AMAZING
"2. Wearing coats in cold weather and hanging with friends is great advice. Balloons as well.
"3. The music video is creepy and amazing at the same time!!" -Megan Hiew
Well, there you go! The winning song was both intense and meaningful, an epic combination. Thanks for participating once again in this year's Music Monday Awards! What're your thoughts on the winner and the whole show? Any constructive criticism for me? My deepest congrats to NF for giving us music that's real and relatable in so many ways!
Ah, my prediction was correct! But I'm not sad about the result one tiny bit. This truly is one epic, powerful, high quality song, with a fantastic music video to go with it! And I don't even like rap. Like...at all. But this one is AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteThat was really interesting learning more about NF. Apparently he does need more recognition, because I had never heard of him myself until you first posted this song. What an inspirational life he leads! *all the applause for him*
Thank you so much for hosting this again! It was a BLAST!!! (Even if it gave me an existential crisis or three. :P) I personally think how you host it works great! Already looking forward to next year! :D
Indeed it was! Your prediction skills are on point. I think you summed it up pretty perfectly there. I'm not all that into rap either, but NF is a big exception when it comes to the genre. The quality of his work is just so much higher than any other rapper I've heard.
DeleteHe has a really unfortunate and tragic past, and it helps you see where he's coming from in his music. He does! He's honestly so talented. *claps with you*
You're very welcome! I'm glad it could be another fun experience. (That just comes part and parcel with the Awards. XD) Perfect! I'm glad that I've found my stride and that it works well. I'll be sure to make next year even more of a doozy. ;P