Greyson Chance - Honeysuckle - Single [Review]

When American singer/songwriter Greyson Chance announced on April 24th, 2020 that he would be releasing a new single - titled "Honeysuckle" - on May 8th, 2020, I initially thought that he was announcing the release date of his new album (the follow-up to his 2019 album portraits, a follow-up which he has been teasing for a long time now). When I ended up realizing that it was just a new single that he was announcing, I was, of course, a bit disappointed but was also very surprised because it seemed odd to announce a new single with so much time still remaining before the release date. I, however, digress, especially since the song was well worth the wait. Chance has thus far released three singles from this era - "Boots" (which is apparently a standalone single that won't be featured on the album), "Dancing Next to Me" (which, along with "Boots," I reviewed here), and now "Honeysuckle," and "Honeysuckle" is my favorite of the three, hands down. My only complaint with it, in fact, is that it's too short. Clocking in at 2:23, it feels almost like an interlude as opposed to a full song. The song begins with electronic production somewhat mimicking chanting, reminding me a great deal of the opening to Lady Gaga's 2011 hit "The Edge of Glory." "Honeysuckle" is primarily fueled by a sultry beat (that is hard to resist dancing to) and chiming keyboard, and Greyson's vocals often feature an electronically altered vocal layer underneath. Something that I love and find incredibly interesting about this song is that the melody, especially in the chorus, is almost Gregorian in how flat and unchanging that it is, yet the song is still catchy as hell. (I think that it is, in part, due to the infectious beat.) Greyson has stated that "Honeysuckle" acts as his "love letter to the summer." He also stated in that tweet that it's a statement regarding his love for recklessness, so it is pretty clear that he sees summer as a time to be reckless, and the lyrics definitely support this: "Honeysuckle, high in the tree. You let the world live under you like you're some good royalty. No one can touch you when you're reckless in the summer, that heat. You let him wonder, but you never let him sink in his teeth." The song seems to be celebrating summer as a time to have fun, to not allow anyone to get too close because getting close comes with the caveat of being exposed to the risk of heartbreak. In the song's summery music video (which was filmed in Chance's home-state of Oklahoma), Chance is seen riding on a motorcycle with another guy until they reach a small lake where Chance drowns the guy and takes his motorcycle. It's definitely a humorous way of emphasizing the song's theme of not allowing anyone to get too close. It's such a great track, and I can't wait to hear what the rest of the album (which, according to Genius, is titled Trophies) has to offer.