I’m tempted to say that it’s a generational thing, but I often wonder if it’s actually more personal taste and, specifically, being drawn to or away from various genres of music. When I grimace at a song that’s playing, is it a statement on my age or just the style of music?
I would love to see a study relative to the above and whether what we think is probably just due to someone’s age is actually more a certain type of music that they don’t like. After all, while the knee jerk would be to think that someone in their 60s would probably be turned off by rap and hip hop, not only might there be some in that age bracket that would surprise you, but moreover, I’m sure there are 20- and 30-somethings that don’t like it either.
And this is not to single out any one genre. Country, classical, blues, we could make a list and speculate of who might like what – without discussing age – but the fact remains that you know a good song when you hear it, sometimes despite the genre, but quite often whether you’ve heard of the artist before or not. After all, any songwriter in Nashville will tell you that it starts with the song, meaning, if it’s well written, it’ll land with the audience.
Thus, when “Love Will Lead the Way” by Andreas Klamm was submitted to me, I saw myself heading for the Approved button. I can tell you from experience that I can tell very quickly the songs that I will hit the Decline button for.
With this new track the German-French singer, songwriter, composer, journalist, and activist has delivered an important message, and I like that the production was kept simple. The vocals stand out, as a result, instead of getting lost in unnecessary instrumentation.
Additionally, I feared that the beat was going to turn dance-y but thankfully that didn't happen -- although it kept me waiting and listening, which, as we know and I’ve pointed out in other song review blogs, is important.
Klamm did something interesting too in the break two-thirds of the way in (2:35 mark of a 3:30 song) that got my attention. Ironically, I first thought, “Wow, it’s done already? Are the remaining 55 seconds dead air that, oops, got left in?” Only for it to resume, with the piano late in the song being a nice touch too.
Maybe I am showing my age, but let’s face it – times are tough. We need more positive, uplifting songs. The negative messages will only bring people down even more. Klamm is known for his emotional expression and poetic storytelling, and he has successfully drawn upon those talents with “Love Will Lead the Way.”
When an international artist such as this shows up on your music player, it’s also an opportunity to expand your horizons and remove any barriers from your listening habits so that age, genre, and borders are not a factor. Otherwise, you would be missing out on a track such as this, which just might be what you need to hear at a given time for something that you might be going through.
For Klamm I say bravo, as this single can and should open him to a whole new audience that should logically say, “What else is there?”
It’s a win-win for artist and listener.
To bring this full circle and revisit the view from the start of this post, who will enjoy “Love Will Lead the Way”? Will it be the 20-something audience, those in their sixties, or listeners in between those ranges? Or, some combination thereof?
I submit that like any song well-written, those who will enjoy it will be anyone who likes and knows a good song when they hear it, regardless of the year on their birth certificate.
It’s not polite to ask a woman her age, so I won’t ask that you comment (on social media posts about this blog) with your age alongside a thumbs up, but my guess is that we’d see quite a range if we were to initiate such an exercise.
For more than twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more. What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to? Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.