Blake Lewis, American Idol season six runner-up, beatboxing extraordinaire and most underrated contestant to ever grace the stage, has returned to music after a long, almost four year, wait that crippled me and shattered my heart. In 2009, the artist released the phenomenal Heartbreak on Vinyl, which unfortunately went unnoticed by almost everyone. Lewis experienced a shake up with two labels, but has now reemerged with great news of his new signing with Republic Records. I had the opportunity to speak with Blake (read here) about his upcoming project, details which could not be revealed at the time, but now the artist has shared a lot in a short amount of time. The new single, unveiled in full today, goes by the name of "Your Touch", the lead single off Lewis' 2013 album, Portrait of a Chameleon. Interesting title. I like it. The news was shared through Yahoo! so it seems like Lewis' career is going down the right path. Not many American Idol alumni get a third chance, so you can guarantee Blake is not taking it for granted. Glad to hear he's back!
Compared to his two previous bodies of work, my first reaction to "Your Touch" was... "It's different". It does not sound as if it could fit in easily with Audio Day Dream or Heartbreak On Vinyl, Lewis is experimenting with a lot more in terms of production. When the song first opens, with "I've been writing you a story, the headline reads 'we're meant to be'", we expect a full on ballad, slow and light, but once the chorus kicks in all that goes out the window. The artist throws it all at his fans in one big swoop and I have to breath in order to take it all in. If you are familiar with Lewis then you know loud, intricate, complicated pop is his forte. He may be tweaking some stuff here and there, but he is keeping the elements that makes him the artist I have grown to love and respect.
The one thing that has not changed is Lewis' infatuation with love and the girls that might have gotten away. "Your beauty consumes me, I've never loved someone so much," he sings with a voice that will make anyone melt and hypnotize them to get down and dirty on the dance floor. Blake has always been able to tell a story with his lyrics and let emotion really let the song start flowing. It seems like no difficult task for the artist. The new single has so much going on, switching up pace and energy from the verses to the chorus, but it all comes together effortlessly. It sounds like something he would create. Now, is the song the best weapon in his arsenal? Not really. I would still say "Freak" and "Left My Baby For You" are gems, but this showcases his evolution, where he is at now in his career. With a new label, new momentum, this single should have no problem garnering attention. It deserves to be heard. Listen to "Your Touch" below.
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