Aly & AJ’s “What It Feels Like” Is a Daring Anthem of Progress & Resilience

“What It Feels Like” is a masterclass in vulnerability and self-acceptance.

The verses mirror on the inevitable bodily and emotional adjustments that include age, “Been considering ’bout the way in which my pores and skin has modified / The solar retains beating straight down on my face / I’ve misplaced a pair associates this yr / It makes me suppose we’re fragile right here”. There’s a weight to those phrases, a bittersweet recognition of life’s fleeting nature. However relatively than mourning youth, Aly & AJ select to rejoice the knowledge and power that include expertise.

The refrain is the place the music actually soars. The sisters sing, “I wanna know what it looks like / I wanna know what it looks like / To let magnificence fade, effectively, that’s okay, I’m not afraid.” In an business that always sidelines ladies as they age, these phrases are revolutionary. They reject the poisonous notion that youth is the one forex of worth, as a substitute embracing the sweetness present in change and self-assurance. It’s an anthem for anybody who has ever felt pressured to chase an unattainable, airbrushed splendid – a music that urges us to redefine what it means to be lovely.

I wanna know what it looks like
I wanna know what it looks like
To let magnificence fade, effectively,
that’s okay, I’m not afraid
I wanna know what it looks like
What it looks like

Past its highly effective message, “What It Feels Like” is just an distinctive piece of music. The manufacturing is lush however not overwhelming, permitting the sincerity of Aly & AJ’s vocals to shine. The instrumentation is wealthy with layers – shimmering guitars, a gradual bassline, and subtly intricate percussion all working in concord to create an immersive listening expertise.

There’s a sure ease to the monitor, a confidence in its pacing that feels paying homage to ’70s rock ballads. The music stretches past 5 minutes, an intentional alternative that defies trendy pop’s demand for brevity, letting the listener sit with its message and actually really feel its influence.

Some of the hanging points of “What It Feels Like” is how effortlessly it intertwines private and common experiences.

The Michalka sisters wrote the music from the angle of a brand new mom (Aly) and a brand new aunt (AJ), however its themes of self-reflection and resilience resonate far past their particular person tales. It’s a monitor for anybody who has ever wrestled with self-doubt, who has ever felt the sting of being undervalued, who has ever questioned what it means to really settle for themselves. It’s about selecting pleasure and goal over concern and superficiality.

Been considering ’bout the way in which my pores and skin has modified
The solar retains beating straight down on my face
I’ve misplaced a pair associates this yr
It makes me suppose we’re fragile right here
I’m standing taller
than I’ve ever been, I’ve ever been

I’ve come this far to not get this shut
To style the land of honey
I’ve come too far, it’s too lengthy a street
Simply to commerce my goals for cash
I’ve come this far to not get this shut
To style the land of honey
I’ve come too far, it’s too lengthy a street
Simply to commerce my goals

I wanna know what it looks like
I wanna know what it looks like
To let magnificence fade, effectively,
that’s okay, I’m not afraid
I wanna know what it looks like
What it looks like

In fact, this single additionally serves as a pointy response to the music business itself. The duo lately revealed on Name Her Daddy {that a} main label rejected “Silver Deliverer” as a result of Aly & AJ, now of their 30s, have been deemed to have an viewers that was too “outdated.” The rejection solely fueled their willpower, reinforcing their dedication to creating music on their very own phrases. It’s not possible to hearken to “What It Feels Like” and never really feel a way of defiance woven into its DNA.

This defiance extends to the music’s sonic decisions as effectively. Whereas trendy pop typically prioritizes high-energy hooks and rapid-fire verses, Aly & AJ go for a gradual burn. There’s a quiet confidence in the way in which the music unfolds, taking its time to construct in the direction of a cathartic, nearly meditative conclusion. The choice to let the monitor breathe, to let the lyrics sink in, is a testomony to their progress as artists and storytellers.

Been lookin’ again at outdated pictures
Those I used push proper previous
Now I’m drawn to those
the place I’m mid laughing
Now I see the value in that

“What It Feels Like” is greater than only a comeback – it’s a redefinition.

It proves that Aly & AJ will not be relics of the previous, however artists who proceed to evolve and problem the business’s slim expectations. Their music is not simply for many who danced to “Rush” of their childhood bedrooms; it’s for anybody looking for authenticity, resilience, and the braveness to embrace change.

I wanna know what it looks like
I wanna know what it looks like
To let magnificence fade, effectively,
that’s okay, I’m not afraid
I wanna know what it looks like

As “Silver Deliverer” approaches, “What It Feels Like” units a robust precedent. If this monitor is any indication, Aly & AJ will not be solely entering into their very own – they’re demanding their rightful place within the music world, on their very own phrases. And for many who have adopted their journey, that looks like one thing price celebrating.

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