Grace Vanderwaal makes it very apparent how music can help view the world in a very accurate light in her music single debut Clearly. Taking Johnny’ Nash’s song I Can See Clearly Now and integrating its lyrics and sound with her own Grace has made a rather interesting and powerful sound that almost gets off to a kind of clunky start but comes together very quickly as the video for the song depicts a young woman that seems to be in the throes of depression that she can’t escape. When the music really gets going however the note of defiance and hidden strength beneath the music comes out so forcefully that one can’t help but feel their chest swell with the familiar feeling that is the refusal to just back down and let the world have its way. In other words the song shows the spirit of the modern age in how many people, perhaps young people in particular, view the world and how they must stand up in order to get through the day.
That could be kind of a grandiose version of things but all in all Grace’s voice is so powerful that it’s easy to get lost in the feel of it very quickly. While she borrows heavily from Nash’s song she does have her own lyrics and they’re just as meaningful as the original track. The message she’s sending is on that the world in general needs right now as we seem to continually spiraling out of control only to arrest ourselves long enough to jump off the next platform into madness. Those brief moments of respite however are enough to realize that there is a moment of clarity, of clear, blessed light that shines down on us to show that the dark clouds won’t always be there. Grace’s voice is a great sound that punches that point home and makes it known that the world isn’t always going to be able to beat a person down, that the dark skies will part and the light will shine through.
She also acknowledges however that while some things won’t change it’s important to accept this and keep moving forward in order to live, to get through the disarray and accept life the way it is, not as we would have it. This kind of inspirational song is what’s needed right now for people to really feel and understand just what it means to have hope, to not give up and to stride forward rather than slump under the weight of the many things happening in the world today. Grace’s voice isn’t too high or low but has that strange and wonderful quality to lift and support the song in a way that suggests both strength and hope that is so sorely needed at this time in the world.
She’ll be opening for the Imagine Dragons this coming June 5th on the North American Evolve Tour and quite honestly the Dragons couldn’t ask for a better opener at this point since Grace has the kind of voice that can truly get someone pumped up.
Follow Us
