YONAKA is not a band that one would normally associate with a deific melody but with their song “Give Me My Halo” one can’t help but feel a sense of reverence. Previous tracks like “Rockstar,” “Seize the Power” and “Waves” proved their gift for soaring vocals and heart-pumping beats but “Give Me My Halo” brings something different to the table. Every musician has a track that makes new listeners and even long-time fans rethink the level of talent a musician is capable of, and for Yonaka, this track is it.
Vocalist Theresa Jarvis commented, “This song feels a bit different from what we normally do. We wrote it on piano and it’s very beautiful.” It is very beautiful. Theresa’s vocal range striking. When she sings “Fire up the engine, I’m leaving home tonight” her voice lingers on each of the words like she is savoring the story she is telling. The piano music is simple and lovely, leaving room for us to focus on her voice.
Yonaka’s discography is filled with absolute bangers. The sort of music you like to play when you’re working out or getting ready to leave the house for a party. But none of them made you sit with your feelings and really appreciate the extraordinary talent of the people involved. Though of course, they would have had to be talented to be as successful as they are. But it’s hard to forget about the talent of these people sometimes when listening to pop music.
Pop music is often so overproduced and synthesized that some of the real beauty of the music gets lost. But when we strip it back to basics it becomes impossible to ignore that some of these vocalists really are something else. I had the same experience listening to “Praying” by Kesha and “Angels Like You” by Miley Cyrus. These women have voices that go beyond the music we usually hear from them, and we should try very hard to keep from forgetting that.
Stream “Give Me My Halo”:
