When the Radio Gets It Right: Stay With Me.

The first time I heard Sam Smith's "Stay With Me", the radio had been turned on mid-song. The volume was low, and so I wasn't fully paying attention to the lyrics. The most I pulled from it was the first two lines of the chorus, and I figured it was just another melodic love song attempting to be the next "All of Me" by John Legend. This blog intro is an apology to Sam Smith. I was completely and totally wrong.

It's no doubt that women are crushing the pop music scene right now. That doesn't mean that what they are producing should be considered quality music, but they are reigning in the top charts. While this trend has been growing for a while now, I noticed it more after "Blurred Lines" came out last summer. That song was met with extreme polarity; people loved it or hated it. There was no middle ground. I found myself in the latter group, finding the song and the video just awfully distasteful. It came to my realization that most male musicians only write about two things: sex or love. Quite often these two subjects don't coincide in the same song. Unless you are Bruno Mars*.

 I want to be clear. I'm fully aware that in "Stay With Me" there's a lyric that says, "This ain't love, it's clear to see." The reason I find this song so refreshing is because of the approach it's taking about it's subject matter. If you look at all of the songs on the radio with sexual intentions (and there are a plethora) that are sung by male performers, they usually are devoid of any emotion. They are men, manly men, being manly about man stuff. I'm not saying that I don't jam to "Wiggle" by Jason Derulo, I'm just saying that the spectrum of emotion within the lyrics is pretty small.

Sam Smith had the audacity to put something on the radio that tells us men can get emotional about sexual situations. The NERVE! That's pretty bold for some dude that sings like a chick.

No, but seriously, I have nothing but appreciation for his boldness. For all of you who still get instant Hulk-rage when "Blurred Lines" comes on the radio, take a listen to this song. It's not an amazing instrumental piece. It's not the greatest hit of 2014 but it deserves to be recognized, even if only for a moment. It's simple, it's easy to understand, and it's an honest look at how some people work. Not just rappers and those guys in Maroon 5.

Take a listen if you haven't already heard this song. I hope you understand and appreciate it in the same way that I do. If not, feel free to tell me that I'm an idiot for thinking this song is what we needed on the radio after the last few years.

Also, here's my PSA reminding you how important music is to young people and communities. Please pay attention to what you listen to, not just the beat. Hear what musicians are trying to say, and decide if that's actually worth listening to.

*Bruno, if you're reading this blog (with Sam Smith, obviously) please stop. Just stop. We don't need anymore songs about gorillas or grenades. The next thing you know, you're combining those and writing a love song about guerrilla warfare. Just stop.