Review by Sylvie Marie & Staff
Arily Michele is named after an acronym her parents used in letters to each other that means "Always remember I love you." She is notorious for her bewitching vocals and intelligent songwriting. Arily moved to Denver to find her voice and wound up recording an entire album. The change in scenery gave her the inspiration she needed to find herself after feeling lost for so long. Her debut album, Echolalia, is about learning self-love in a world that taught her self-loathing. Off the album, "Ophelia'" is a great way to get acquainted with Arily's impressive songwriting and vocal abilities.
Opening with a deep, pulsing bass line, throbbing with syncopated sixteenths, accompanied by a percussive clap on beat two, Arily's "Ophelia" opens with intensity. Soon, the percussion doubles with an emphasis on two and four while melodic synth chords fill in the space for a sound that is tuneful and danceable. Arily combines story and dance for a music experience that is lyrically and musically captivating, keeping your mind and body locked into the song. "Ophelia" is from the Shakespeare character who suffers abuse and blames herself. Utilizing an interesting narrative that seamlessly leaps from observer (third-person) to a first-person experience, Arily's song has an intimate story-telling landscape.
"I was almost certain on some level he cared. Judging by the way he looked at me, every time he stared." Mid-way through the song, an instrumental bridge precedes a dynamic chorus where Arily breaks free vocally giving a highly memorable and passionate performance. Airly has a powerhouse voice with great vocal range. "Ophelia - he is not the man he seems." Check out Arily's stand-out performance in the official music video:
This is a song about a woman who has a bleeding heart for a man who doesn't care about her. She is certain that he loves her, but it's a figment of her imagination and wishful thinking. This song is a cautionary tale about how it feels to wait around for someone to reciprocate love instead of severing toxic ties. In this modern version, "Ophelia" takes responsibility for her own heart rather than wallowing in self-pity and despair.
Arily has written a flowing and danceable song that is catchy and addictive while telling the story of a young woman who is on a self-destructive path. Even though the song has a sad story, it never feels depressive; instead, listeners are taken on an intense journey of music and emotion that doesn't shy away from tackling dark emotions.
Follow on Instagram
Stream on Spotify
Connect on Facebook
Comments