After enjoying some mainstream success with breakout single “Can’t Say No,” Conor Maynard would go on to become a staple on YouTube with a mix of engaging and creative content that included both originals and covers. He often joined forces with friend and collaborator Anth for rap-sung versions of songs like “Pillowtalk” by ZAYN and “Hello” by Adele, and, later, with other artists such as Alex Aiono and Hrvy for his popular “Sing-Off” series.
Maynard, whether performing his own material or taking on someone else’s, always nailed the emotions he meant to convey with his raspy, gritty delivery and impressive vocal range. Well over a decade into his career, he continues to do that with new song “Storage,” along with two additional tracks off his album +11 Hours, out June 9th.
“Storage,” the primary track of the three, is an intimate piano-driven ballad that, according to Maynard, deals with emotions far deeper than feelings of post-relationship grief. “’Storage’ is about having the capacity to contain various, irrelevant, but ultimately incredible, personal, and beautiful memories when you’re in a relationship,” he said in a press release. “Once that ends, your brain holds onto all of the information and fixates on those tiny little things that didn’t really make a difference at the time, but now all they do is consume your so-called ‘storage’ of your brain.”
The music video, a simple yet poignant one-shot piece, shows Maynard in physical and emotional shambles, effectively portraying the sadness of the lyric; “I try to say I’m fine / But there’s no room for nothing else inside my mind / I can’t forget the way I felt / Wish I could ignore it / Cause it’s not important.”
The other two tracks on the short preview of the record are “By Your Side” and “If I Ever,” both previously released. “By Your Side,” an incredibly infectious pop-dance tune with an instrumental similar to Justin Bieber’s underrated faith-driven track “Where U Go I Follow,” is the best of the trio, highlighting Maynard’s strength as a vocalist and his ability to carry what is a very musically busy tune.
“If I Ever,” a breezy electro tune with massive pop radio potential, rounds out the trio. Maynard, as ubiquitous and versatile a vocalist as Bieber and even The Weeknd, effortlessly changes his vocal approach to fit the quieter, subtle pop tone needed for the track.
Be sure to check out +11 Hours, Maynard’s anticipated return to a full project of originals after a decade, when it drops June 9th.