I’m sure that all of you have seen the announcement about HMH’s change in terms of the music we’ve been covering, but just in case you haven’t, please go and read it first!  Many of us were probably not expecting this, but after much deliberation, all of us here at what has now become House Music Herald feel that this is the right choice going forward.  We hope that you all will support us in this shift as well! We have discussed the various aspects of this in depth and have answered every question, so as we move forward, here is my first article for House Music Herald!

This incredible piece comes to us today from a little-known artist called Avicii. This innovative musician has developed a cutting-edge type of EDM that combines elements of country music with normal house.  Although this may sound extraordinarily strange to you, against all odds, Avicii manages to pull it off.  Creative acoustic guitar introduces an uplifting melody, and the steady house beat introduced soon afterward energizes the inspirational mood.  However, instrumentation is just one facet of this incredible piece.  Emotionally powerful lyrics, written and performed by the equally underrated singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc, offer nothing less than one of the most vibrant vocal performances I’ve ever heard. After a powerful first verse and a catchy chorus, this listener felt dramatically launched into an epic, three-part drop section that almost has a bit of an oriental feel to it.  Starting with just the melody in the first section, then adding in the beat and other instruments later, the song then seamlessly transitions into a strong second verse, which contains a lyric I really resonated with: “Life’s a game made for everyone, and love is the prize.”  These powerful words almost moved me to tears, and they reminded me of my name “GameNotOver” – a name I chose as a reminder to myself and others to never give up, to always hold tight to the lifeline of hope despite life’s adversities, and to keep on finding ways to show love and kindness to every person, as love is life’s highest prize and unquestionably worth fighting for.  

In any case, as the song moves to the chorus again, some upbeat piano joins the uplifting vibes.  Aloe Blacc finishes his epic performance with vocal chops that powerfully demonstrate the upper limits of his amazing voice.  Layering of the drop melody over Aloe’s voice, as it gradually fades to an echo, creates an almost trance-like feeling at the end of the chorus.  Finally, Aloe’s voice is gone and the melody takes over completely, reaching a climax that muddles the individual notes before dropping into a powerful final drop.

As you can guess, this awesome song takes you on a magnificent journey from start to finish!  No part feels out of place.  Nothing feels empty or superfluous.   From the instrumentation, to the lyrics, to the vocals, this song is a beautiful work of art all the way through.  I consider it an honor to be able to write about this stellar piece for this wonderful company, and I hope this song moves everyone who reads this article, as it did me.  Although this is only the beginning for us all with our new moniker, I for one can’t wait to see what is next in store, and my coworkers and I hope you’ll all stick around with us now, just as before, because this game is nowhere near over for us yet.