I understand why Rita Ora says she doesn’t “wanna hear sad songs“. I get it, your in love… But what exactly is so bad about sad songs? Sad songs make us look at our happy lives and help us find that perfect medium. I bet there are plenty happily married songwriters who write depressing music, and guess what… They’re probably as happy as people who write more uplifting songs are! That’s why I loved Moana’s version of Kelly Clarkson‘s Since U Been Gone. Kelly’s version reflected “an empowering message of finding the best out of a potentially tough situation”. But Moana twisted that message into a darker and more cynical version. She says, “it sounds more like pretending to be okay, and trying to deal with strong feelings, while still showing vulnerability.” In my opinion, Moana’s version represents an equally powerful and relatable struggle. So I ask again, what is so bad about sad songs…
Like most musicians I have reviewed, Moana says music and song writing has always been a part of her life. For a long time she would keep her songs locked away just like a diary, because they would be just for herself. When she was a teenager her piano teacher suggested to her dad that she should go to Berklee School of Music for college because he thought she would thrive in that setting.
“I did and he was right,” she says.
Growing up in the Caribbean, Moana was exposed to all sort of styles of music and she took a little bit of each with her. Such as co-writing, “I love how the sum is greater than the whole when working with other people, because we can enhance each others’ ideas to new levels,” she says.
Her fan base doesn’t really know what to expect from her, because they don’t know exactly what kind of crowd she is looking to attract. However, they are very supportive of her nonetheless. “When I had a crowd-funding campaign in 2013, I felt humbled by all the help I received from so many people!”
“Growing up in the Caribbean, I heard ALL sorts of different styles of music, and took a little bit of each with me. One of my favorite things is mixing genres. When I’m going through rough times, songs just pour out of me, and it’s always been easier for me to write sad songs.”
-Moana A. (3/14/2020)
I choose to not review Moana’s 2013 album called Dotted since it was entirely different beast compared to her latest releases, so I will disregard that album and allow other people to give their own opinion.
“Wild Card is about being confident and unpredictable, without needing to fit the mold,” Moana remarks about her first single release of 2020. This song is so powerful and reflective of what she is as a musician. Moana, like previously mentioned, has released a lot of different songs… So she definitely is unpredictable. But the vocals in this song represent how confident she is in what she makes.
Moana’s version of Since U Been Gone continues her pursuit into a newer sound, a sound that she might just continue to produce consistently.
I really like these two productions, and I am very intrigued to hear where she goes from here. I want her to continue to put out music she feels confident and vulnerable in, but I also want her to push herself and her genres. I would love to see her explore sounds that are unlike any other. It would be nice to hear something different just like what she did with Kelly Clarkson’s song.
“I want to write orchestral pop with film composers; acoustic, stripped down song; rock songs, pop songs, Caribbean songs. All the songs! The one consistent thing will be that I will be releasing new stuff consistently from now on.”
-Moana A.
Now I want everyone to take that introduction sh*tting on happy songs, and just forget what I said. Cause guess who has never written a happy song… Moana… And guess who wants to produce a happy love song…
“I started writing words. Then a melody came. I was afraid to show him, but when I did we immediately came up with a guitar part that I LOVE, and it became something so beautiful that now I’m scared of even finishing, for fear of somehow not making it perfect. I feel like this will be a very important song and I want to give it the best I have. We’re recording it this month.”
That’s right… Moana is going to be recording a happy love song this month… Talk about unpredictable…
*insert GIF here*
So I guess she will producing a happy love song in the future, but she will be releasing a lot more than that. “I want to write orchestral pop with film composers; acoustic, stripped down song; rock songs, pop songs, Caribbean songs. All the songs!”
One thing is for sure though, she will be aiming to release a new track for each month… Doesn’t that sound familiar… *cough cough Only Sun‘s 2018 tracks cough cough*…
So with that said, everyone and myself should be looking forward to another track from Moana this month… Don’t be shocked if it’s a happy song…
I would like to thank Moana for her continued communication, I was really excited to review her because she seems like a very kind and passionate person about her music. You can listen to her music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. You can follow her on her social medias; Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, feel free to join Moana’s mailing list! You can follow Unedited on Instagram (@unedited_music_blog) and Facebook (@uneditedmb). You can also listen to other songs that have been reviewed on Unedited through both Spotify playlists (This Is Unedited (newest playlist in celebration of our 3rd year!) and UMB’s Favorites). I hope everyone stays COVID-19 free and healthy, and I hope all college boys and girls enjoy their extended spring break!
The Minimalistic Music Blog 