Ashley J – “Dare Ya”

Ashley J – “Dare Ya” – Single Review

Alright…no secret that I have a soft-spot on my playlists and in my heart for melodies like this.  Ashley J’s new single “Dare Ya” is the kind of addictive hook-laden single that you can’t help but quickly fall in love with.  No matter how long I try to grow my beard and stay buried underneath it, or try to pretend I know anything about tools, cars or muscles…no matter how much rock-music or metal I listen to…I still can’t escape my natural tendencies to join right in and sing out loud when it comes to music like this.

To her credit, she’s got a beautifully-empowering anthem going for her on “Dare Ya.”  A reflection on life and love…how we can just take hold of the moment and truly take our chances on what could prove to become the best moments of our lives…there’s admirable writing here that is bound to speak to the many dreamers and idealistic people of our world.  With inspiring amounts of positivity – this is one heck of an uplifting song that really speaks to the dreamer inside of ME – and I know it’ll have that same magical effect on you fans of pop-music out there too.

Ashley J seems to fully embody the feelings and emotions you can hear in her music on “Dare Ya.”  She’s got that uplifting sentiment and ambition similar to what you hear in the positivity & love-inspired music of Carly Rae Jepsen – and I dig the amount of conviction that she sings with.  You believe in Ashley J’s words because of the amount of power she puts behind these emotions…if it wasn’t for that factor…there is a slight risk that a song like this, sung by another person, would have gotten lost amongst a sea of pop-music insincerity.  Ashley J pulls it off though – she not only makes you a believer, more importantly, she makes you WANT to believe in everything she’s singing about.  And that’s key…that’s what’s really going to help her along the way…because we want to be on her side and believe in all of the same things that she sings of.  At least I hope we do, collectively.  We should want to stand up for love and for those moments in time that could truly define our lives, shouldn’t we?

Because I kinda really hope that’s the world I’m still living in, as opposed to assuming we’ve all become zombies akin to what you’d see in The Walking Dead…though even I know it’s challenging to see it as such at various times in our lives.

But you see…that’s the point.  We’re not dead…but like so many people have been paraphrased and quoted to say – are we really living?  Ashley J has written a song that really speaks to all this…one that challenges us all to really embrace each day, each emotion and each moment…to not let them simply pass without acknowledging the beauty within them all.

And I LOVE that you can see in her eyes that she really believes in these values as you watch the video she’s put out for “Dare Ya.”  Take a look at it below – you’ll see it right there in her eyes…this is what sincerity looks like…

So there!  I could write a whole bunch of words that support everything I see in Ashley J’s performance in the video – but the best way to sum it all up is to simply say that you can see it right in the sparkle of her eyes that she lives for every moment that comes her way.  Besides…anything I could write wouldn’t be half as convincing as seeing it or listening to it yourself – so make sure you do that.  She’s already closing in on 20000 hits and the video itself has barely been out for a week now…so I know I’m not the only one that sees & hears the magic in the music she’s created here on “Dare Ya.”

So I challenge you all…dear people, dear readers…whether you’re a rock fan, a pop fan, electro, whatever…it doesn’t matter – yes even YOU with the hardest of hearts out there – give this track a listen and let it massage your brain a little bit through its rhythm, melody and stunning amount of heart.  Ashley J will have you on her side, believing that the world can be just as amazing and fantastic as the one she’s singing about on this new single – and with hooks that are guaranteed to stick with ya, anytime you doubt yourself along the way…chances are you’ll start singing this song in your head or out loud in this true reminder that we really do live in a fantastic and beautiful place.

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