Greyson Chance - Boots - Single / Dancing Next to Me - Single [Review]

Young singer/songwriter Greyson Chance will soon be releasing a follow-up to his 2019 album portraits (which I reviewed here) with his third album (although he thinks of it as his second album since he considers himself disconnected from his 2011 debut Hold on 'til the Night, which I totally understand). The album is titled Trophies according to Genius, and he has released two singles - "Boots" and "Dancing Next to Me" - and although I will likely think of "Boots" as being part of this album's era, when he released "Dancing Next to Me," he promoted it as his upcoming album's first single, so I am guessing that "Boots" will remain a loose standalone single without a home. It was announced last year that Chance was signing with Arista Records - a major record label responsible for hosting major names such as Eurythmics, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, P!nk, and dozens upon dozens of others. I admit that I was a little apprehensive when I read this news because something that I have always loved about Chance (especially since he came out as gay and started writing all of his own music) is his raw honesty in his music. His music has never really made compromises and has never made an attempt to fit inside a molded bubble of what top 40 music wants pop music to be, not even on Hold on 'til the Night, an album on which memorable songs such as "Heart Like Stone" and "Summertrain" seemed to promise an up and coming adult alternative artist in this young boy of only thirteen who had met critical acclaim after a Lady Gaga cover recorded at his school talent show went viral. My fear when I learned of the label signing was that he would now be asked to make compromises, to work with the likes of Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Stargate, Diplo, and so forth to make pop music that would chart. I am not necessarily knocking music produced and co-written by such people, since MARINA's Electra Heart album is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I am just using such names to make a point - to emphasize that I didn't want Chance to exchange his raw and emotional pop-rock ballads for top 40 pop songs.

The two singles that have been released since the label signing have somewhat alleviated my apprehension, although I still feel obligated to admit that the songs are definitely more radio-friendly than most of what he has done before. They are still, however, not seeming desperate for Billboard attention, so I chalk the somewhat new sound up to Chance wanting to try different things and expand his horizon as an artist, which I can definitely respect. Despite its memorable (and quite frankly hot) music video (which features a shirtless Chance engaging in a bloody brawl with another dude in the desert), however, "Boots" is a bit of a letdown. I consider it one of his weaker songs from his catalog thus far. Produced by frequent Troye Sivan collaborator Bram Inscore, the song starts on what sounds like a gently strumming electric guitar. Chance quickly chimes in with the chorus: "Ooh, I feel like I'm running. Ooh, I feel like I'm running in my... Ooh, I feel like I'm running." The lyrics of the chorus are rather flat and don't do much to interest me, but the verses of the song are better than the chorus. In the first verse, for example, Chance asserts that he "didn't grow up like you, on vacation" and that he has "been western before all of these punks..." As narrated on his portraits track "west texas," Chance is definitely a southern boy, hailing from the depths of Wichita Falls, Texas and then being raised in Edmond, Oklahoma. Fans know that Chance's affinity for cowboy attire (here is just one of many examples) is no secret; it's something that he proudly flaunts any chance (no pun intended) that he has, and he seems to be making a case in these lyrics that unlike some other Hollywood stars, it isn't an act because he is the real deal. It isn't my favorite Greyson Chance song so far, but I certainly don't hate it, either. One aspect, for example, that I do love is how he complicates this narrative by making it clear that he isn't using the cowboy getup to promote any kind of hyper-masculinity on his part: "Boots with the big heels, hot like I'm Nancy." Big heels are often considered a feminine accessory, and this is an obvious allusion to Nancy Sinatra's hit song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." Chance could have just as easily compared himself to someone like James Dean or John Wayne, but no, he chooses an iconic woman. (The song features guest vocals from someone who takes the lead at the end, but I can't seem to find credits for who it is.)

"Dancing Next to Me" is, in my opinion, a vast improvement over "Boots." Not only do I prefer its sound, but I also prefer its lyrics, and I think that he more impressively shows off his vocal ability on this track. The song definitely lives up to its title, as it is definitely a great song to which to dance. It has a lot of fun and upbeat electronic energy, and Greyson's falsetto verses are nothing if not catchy earworm bait. The song starts on a deep and low synthy bass-line until Greyson opens in a lower register, "Twenty-two, he doesn't drink, but he needs to let loose. He doesn't know what he wants, but I do..." By the time he reaches the pre-chorus, however, he is singing in the aforementioned falsetto, showing off his wide range. When Greyson first announced this song, I had a feeling that "dancing" would end up being a euphemism in the song, and I am pretty sure that I called that correctly, especially because of the bridge near the end of the song (without a doubt my favorite part of the song because of how cheeky and confident that it is): "I was yours for the weekend. Come sunrise, it's time for you to dodge your feelings. Call your girl to deny we know is the truth. You were who you wanted to be. When you were there, you were there; you were dancing next to me." It is pretty clear to me what Chance is saying here - that this guy with whom he is sleeping is closeted and in a relationship with a woman to hide his true self. With the speaker (who is potentially Greyson himself), he allows himself to be his true self, and Greyson knows this because of how present that this guy is when he's with Greyson, especially when they're having sex (or "dancing") as this guy clearly enjoys it. That is my reading of the song anyway, but I don't see any other way of reading it because, as I said, it seems pretty clear to me. This is possibly even an autobiographical situation for Chance because a somewhat similar narrative unfolds in the "white roses" music video. "Dancing Next to Me" is a fairly strong lead single from Trophies (if that is indeed what it is titled), and I am looking forward to the album dropping. The next single is titled "Honeysuckle" and is expected to drop on May 8th, so be on the lookout for my review of that!