Greyson Chance - 8Track - Single [Review]

"8Track" is one of American pop singer Greyson Chance's best songs released this year if not the best, making it, in my opinion, a real shame that it got such a limited release (being exclusive to Spotify which not all fans even use). It has a soft and steady beat and an infectious rhythm especially in its verses such as the opening verse in which he softly sings at a relatively rapid pace, "Still hurting, and I track my tears on the ceiling, but they never drop down, and I'm dreaming. Why? Still calling, and I blame it all on my temper. Keep that 8 track running 'til it's splintered." Not only is the song so emotional and introspective, it also, as previously touched upon, has a very catchy melody and rhythm, making it that much more tragic, in my opinion, that it is exclusive to Spotify. If, like me, for example, you still live in the caveman days of making mix CDs, you are unable - at least legally (and even illegally, it would be a challenge) - to put this on a mix CD since it is not available to download, only stream. Moving on, however, my personal interpretation of the song is that Chance is addressing personal struggles such as depression and music serving as a remedy. It also seems like he might be addressing casual sex as a coping mechanism: "You don't have to stay forever," he sings in the song's chorus. "Be my passion; be my pleasure 'til I'm lost, until I'm lost." He also asks the addressee of the song to "put that needle on that record; play that 8 track 'til it's splintered...," which I think is meant to be a euphemism with more than one meaning. Most of the song is sung in mid-register, but the chorus is sung in falsetto, Greyson once again showcasing his impressive range and vocal ability. I am not sure precisely when this song was written or recorded, but Greyson did release an album earlier this year titled Trophies, and while I did share my frustrations about that in my review of the album as well as in my review of the soon after released standalone single "Overloved," I am now wondering if, given the title of this song, that was intentional. Maybe Trophies is, in part, his proverbial "8 track," and if so, I would feel a lot better about Trophies being so short because that is absolute genius!