It is good when things go according to plan, but occasionally, it is better when they don’t. Take Noonzy’s upcoming debut album, If I Were You, for instance. The rising singer-songwriter set out to record his demos in London with renowned British producer Bullion. During the recording process, however, the demos evolved into unexpected mixes—thanks to random accidents. From the drum machine constantly veering away from the correct time signature to verses vanishing into thin air, it seemed as if the universe was urging Noonzy to experiment. In the end, he came out of recording with a project that strays from his lo-fi indie ways and leans more toward experimental pop.
Noonzy’s latest single, “If I Were You,” follows the release of “Easy.” The two singles come from Noonzy’s upcoming debut album, Plan Is Bad, which is set to be released on October 2. Fans heard Noonzy’s pop-derived sound on “Easy,” and they continue to hear it on “If I Were You” through skittering beats, grooving bass, and forward-moving rhythms. Over this dreamy, tropical-pop landscape, Noonzy sings, “If I were you, I’d lay it on the line / If I were you / If I were you / I could think of a million reasons why / But I’m not you / No, I’m not you.” While the lyrics are downcast, the vocals and melodies are bright, providing an intriguing contrast throughout the track.
Telling us more about “If I Were You,” Noonzy shares,
“This song went through a ridiculous number of shapes and forms. Originally, it was a pretty aggressive pop-rock song. I love the soft, tropical-pop track it eventually became. It was the first song that Bullion and I ever worked on together, and it was the last one we finished. In the end, we built the entire song around the chorus melody. We got Nathan Pigott to double the chorus whistle melody on clarinet. During that recording session, we ended up experimenting with a few more clarinet ideas as well. To this day, I still find the long, stretched-out clarinet bed in the bridge incredibly satisfying when it kicks in. It’s one of those moments in a song that never seems to lose its magic for me.”
You can listen to “If I Were You” here.
Plan Is Bad will be released October 2 via Play It Again Sam. You can pre-save it here.
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