Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Protest music, as its own genre within the pop music lexicon, can take on many different forms, from the rage of Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing to the understated angst of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, but in the new single and music video “NWAYE” from the incomparable Malou Beauvoir, the narrative – as its presented – is almost too grad for what the branding allows for. “NWAYE” is a balladic rallying cry with a video that will bring you to tears with its relentless depiction of reality amidst beautiful rhythm, and if you love music, it’s something you need to see.
More on Malou Beauvoir: https://www.maloubeauvoir.com/
The vocal that Malou Beauvoir lays down here is the most powerful element in the mix and then some, but it somehow doesn’t dwarf the instrumental prowess of her backing band at all. There’s a chemistry between the fabric of the melody in the background and the very timbre of her voice that gives me chills literally every time I sit down with this song, and yet it’s clear that everything here was born of an organic process. The synthetics are left on the sidelines, and why wouldn’t they be? With Malou Beauvoir’s talent, they have no place in the material she attaches her name to.
You can absolutely feel the emotion in this artist’s performance even without seeing the video, which can be a little overwhelming on the eyes in a couple of different spots while remaining very critical to watch just the same. The visuals are haunting and as affective as any of the musical components are, but when they’re mixed together as they were in this setting, it’s a cocktail that you’ve got to choke down – if for no other reason than to experience the emotionality that it can induce right there and then.
I just discovered the works of Malou Beauvoir for myself this year, but I really love what she’s doing in her new single “NWAYE” and the incredible music video it inspired this June. Like a dose of strong medicine, there’s a bittersweet side to this ballad that will bring listeners back for more again and again, no matter how sharply evocative the narrative in this track is. I have to give this release extremely high marks for the timing of its arrival, and specifically for the message of unity that it sends amidst these chaotic times. Malou Beauvoir is a treasure here, and I believe her music is needed now more than ever.
Babette Cook
