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| OneRepublic (Photo from Facebook) |
No, I'm not going to write a full-blown essay about these guys now! LOL! But they do deserve a blog post of appreciation.
Much like how I got into 5 Seconds of Summer, I began listening to OneRepublic through the Spotify playlist that we play at work. This playlist has been playing singles from their fifth and latest album Human (2021). I kept hearing "Rescue Me" at first, but the one that really caught my attention was "Run." I decided to listen to it more thoroughly on the way home from a day trip with my family, and I found myself playing it over and over again. I love the positive and uplifting energy from this song. Basically the message is that there will be naysayers and negativity, but you have to always keep persevering. "Someday" now also plays on the work playlist.
It dawned on me that OneRepublic has been around since about when I was in high school (actually prior, but my first recollection of them is my high school days). They have remained relevant all this time just doing their thing. I remember first hearing "Apologize" on "So You Think You Can Dance," followed by "Stop and Stare," and from then on throughout the years I just heard songs from them without really giving it a second thought. They were just always there producing good music that I was listening to and even exercising to here and there, but never really quite delving into further. I just recently reacquainted myself with "Love Runs Out" and "Wherever I Go," to name a few. They are forgotten gems for me and bring back memories.
I then realized that I didn't know any of the band members nor did I know anything about their lives. I just found out lately that their lead singer's name is Ryan Tedder, for example. (And now I'm reading that he has writing credits on 5SOS's "Teeth???" Can you hear me screaming???)
I haven't seen them in the news with any controversy, apologies, or statement making, I was never fed constant interviews with them to push them forward more, nor did I know anything personal about them, such as who they are dating/married to and if they are "problematic." The only thing I knew about them was their music.
THIS IS HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. I AIM TO KEEP IT THIS WAY AS MUCH AS I CAN.
They are similar to Maroon 5 in terms of music style and band structure and that they are married men in their late 30s/early 40s with kids. Therefore, they are perceived more mature and are received more maturely (at least I hope so). They just have a different vibe from artists in their 20s and early 30s at this point and are of an older generation and age range within that generation. I never see them being discussed on social media and because of this and the fact that the main focus of them is their music, they remind me of musicians, music appreciation and consumerism, and what it means to be a fan from my parents' time or even my own childhood to an extent. It's calming and nostalgic. But like 5SOS, however, Tedder and another band member were high school friends who decided to form a band before they officially got their start and OneRepublic then eventually really took off in 2002.
For the first time, I decided to check out the entirety of a OneRepublic album. Human is the latest addition to my CD collection. I bought it at Target (Target exclusive deluxe edition, of course! You know what THAT means! BONUS TRACKS! :D) alongside a pair of Ellie Chelsea boots while using a gift card my boss gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago.
BEST PURCHASE YET.
Like other artists I like these days, OneRepublic also slightly touches on mental health. Human is all about what it means to be human, such as loss, love, and hope, among much more. In the booklet, Tedder addresses how he hit a "physical, emotional, mental wall," so therefore he was burnt out and couldn't write for OneRepublic for over 2 years. This explains why the album seemed a little delayed from the last. The delay was also due to COVID-19.
These guys are also the first artists that I have been following lately who acknowledge God in their thank yous, which is nice to see. Guitarist Zach Filkins opens up his section in the booklet by saying, "I thank God for His Divine love, which I still can barely comprehend, yet experience in so many undeserved ways."
They also cite Mozart as one of their musical influences! What modern pop rock artist does that?
An issue that I do have with them though is that a lot of their music does tend to sound alike, so therefore it is a little difficult to differentiate their songs at first, but right now my favorites from Human so far are "Run," of course, "Savior," "Take Care Of You," "Better Days," and "Tides." The whole album though is excellent background music.
("Somebody To Love" sounds like AWOLNATION's "Sail," by the way.)
"Savior" stands out to me because I like how cleverly it is written. They use "savior" and "save ya" as puns and a rhyming scheme for how the song flows. "Take Care Of You" and actually "Take It Out On Me" too are similar and remind me of 5SOS's "Best Years." They are simple love songs with the singer talking about how he will be there as a loving partner, as well as the significant other being a loving partner in return. "Better Days" is very relevant to today's world about how better days are coming and kind of reminds me of Ashton Irwin's "Sunshine," as well as other ending songs. As the final song on the standard album, it is similar to these in this aspect as well.
On Spotify, "Ships + Tides" is one track whereas on the CD, they are two separate tracks. Unfortunately, 5SOS didn't do this with "Outer Space/Carry On" on their Sounds Good Feels Good (2016) album. I love being able to just listen to "Tides" on its own without having to listen through "Ships" and I always wish that I could possibly be able to listen to "Carry On" by itself in the same way.
"Tides" is such a beautiful instrumental conclusion to "Ships" that it moved me to tears when I first listened to it on Spotify in the car. It successfully joins the ranks of "Carry On," Harry Styles's "Fine Line," Niall Horan's "Flicker," and Luke Hemmings's "Comedown" and "A Beautiful Dream" as songs that have made me cry simply because of how they sound.
What else can I say about Human? I LOVE the color scheme of the album cover. It is a gorgeous combination of blue, pink, and purple. That seems to be a popular choice these days. Look at Taylor Swift's Lover (2019).
OneRepublic now has their own playlists on my Spotify. Yes, indeed.
Thank you, OneRepublic. Thank you guys for always being there for us since like 2007 and providing great music and being all about the music only without the unnecessary drama.
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