Written by Marilù Ciabattoni
Discovered via Musosoup
North-London artist Natalie Shay gives us a nostalgia-filled track with “Heaven.” Inspired by country pop artists like Taylor Swift and Haim, this track evolves around an acoustic guitar arrangement and doubled vocals that add to the overall country vibe. At the same time, the artist’s singing style, the beats and some background effects make it more poppy and catchy.
The track starts with a question (“Does it feel how it feels / When you’re there at the end of the party?”) which sets the scene. The lyrics describe awkward situations of loneliness and social anxiety, which mark the story as a coming-of-age one: “She kinda liked the way she’s centre stage, / Not overplayed, alone / But nobody’s taking you home.” Natalie compares her situation to “a fire that never got burned,” which I think is a beautiful metaphor.
I love how she decided to double her vocals in the chorus, giving more strength to her otherwise sweet voice. Each three lines, she repeats the same melodic pattern as the storytelling progresses: “Baby it’s a dream / Please, keep with me / Coz I’d give it up for Heaven / Mean, sweet, beauty queen / I could be / On my way to heaven,” are some of my favourite lines.
The following verse follows the same pattern of the first but it also prepares us for the second chorus. In general, Natalie has a great sense of rhythm and uses her voice creatively in both high- and low-pitched sections. Finally, towards the end of the song, building up to the last chorus, we hear an electric guitar solo, a rock music element which is an addition to the country and pop influences that we first encountered.
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