Big Sexy – “Michigan”

Big Sexy – “Michigan” – Single Review

It’s certainly no surprise to me that the band is back and sounding just as great as they left off from the last time we crossed paths, when they were out there circulating their single “Pretty Girl Blues.”  The single we’d reviewed prior to that, called “The Disposable Man” seems to have been removed from the ol’ Spotify page…and that definitely tracks…it wouldn’t be a day in my life without some broken links to sift through and about thirty bands & artists changing their name from what we knew to something else.  Sigh.  You can still find it on Bandcamp and other sites if you know where to look…just takes a bit of digging.

Anyhow.  Okay…so…“Michigan” – what do I think?  Honestly, I’m not hearing much reason to be inclined to complain.  Part of me even thinks this is probably the best I’ve heard from Big Sexy to-date in some ways.  I’ll be real with ya in the sense that I still believe that the band itself is still fighting the good fight to establish some tangible identity within their music, but they sure know their way around a song.  In the case of “Michigan,” it’s a fairly lengthy tune for the Pop/Rock style it possesses if I’m being real with ya…it’s about 5:35 in total, and you feel that at points within the verses, though it should be noted that everything still sounds great, it’s just one of those cases where it takes a bit longer to get to what creates the real magic in this particular song.  Because there’s no argument to be made – the secret sauce of “Michigan” is right there on full display in the chorus.  There’s an interesting narrative that has been crafted to fuel the entire storyline, but it’s not the selling feature here…it’s an added benefit that comes along with what is the real hooks that make this song work.  Everything sounds good all the way through, don’t get it twisted – but there’s a noticeable difference between something that’s good, and something that’ll have you calling up all your friends and cousins to make sure they don’t miss out on it – and that’s what you’ll hear in the chorus.  In terms of lyricism and whatnot, you can certainly make the argument that the verses play a significant role in providing the context and details that fuel the whole storyline within the song…but beyond that, it is a bit generic.  Still sounds good, but it’s really about the lyricism at that point in “Michigan” – like a good story, it needs to build a little – in the realm of the short attention spans we’re all cursed with these days, it might seem a bit too drawn out before we reach the real payload, which is the main hook and melody that puts the heart into the award-worthy chorus.

Think of it this way…and I’m by no means endorsing shorter songs, or songs that are designed for today’s algorithms and such, because I hate all that kinda shit…BUT…it’s also important to be aware of the system, its limitations, and how things currently work.  In the case of Spotify, you’ve gotta retain listeners for longer than thirty seconds for them to even consider paying you for the streams you earn.  Hence, practically everything designed now is written with that in mind.  Again, I’m not suggesting that anyone out there caters to that, but what I am saying, is that the most gripping part of “Michigan” is without question the chorus, and you’re not introduced to that until past the 1:20 mark – so they’re up against the odds here when it comes to how Spotify currently rules the music world.  In any event, the folks that tend to read these pages of ours, come here because they don’t care about that kinda crap at all…they’re here because they’re music-savy people that care about substance over constant content.  So take it to heart when I tell ya that when you do finally make it to the chorus of “Michigan,” it is very much worth the journey it takes to get there – it’s as beautiful as it is memorable.  The writing is fantastic, and the execution is the only thing that rivals it.  Needless to say, the combination of both these elements makes “Michigan” quite amazing to listen to – Big Sexy has put in a superb performance on this single from start to finish.  As I’ve said many times on these pages of ours, the strength of ONE part in your songs can often be all that is needed to bring people back for another listen…and I’m more than confident that the chorus of “Michigan” will send them running to repeat this tune.  Somewhere in the realm of like…Train or The Head And The Heart…that’s where you’ll find a song like “Michigan” – and you’ll be happy that you did.  So…yeah…again, don’t get me wrong – personally, I enjoy how this song unfolds and I feel like there’s value in the verses, even if they’re not the main part that will bring you back to “Michigan.”  When everything fits, you’re never going to find me complaining – and I’m not – I’m merely highlighting what Big Sexy is up against in the digital world.  For me, I like the smoothness and the fluidity in the verses, even if I recognize it’s so mellow it could potentially be a bit detrimental to them.  Solid solo for you to enjoy as well from Alex Goroshko …stellar vocals from Gary Maccagnone that are remarkably endearing…incredible backing harmonies to bring the beauty out in every single word of the hooks…and that chorus y’all…good lord, that chorus!  That’s the kind of specialness that a band can only dream of writing once in the course of most careers…and I’m absolutely amazed by the melody they’ve put in there.  On the strength of the chorus alone, I’d have no problem at all telling you that “Michigan” is one of my favorite tunes of 2025 so far.  Gary has done an exceptional job in writing this song, and his partner in crime Alex nailed the music as well.  This collaborative effort is no stranger to success – everything they’ve put out that I’ve heard so far has always shown this band has got what it takes to earn your attention and affection…but believe me when I tell ya that once you get to the chorus of “Michigan,” you’ll hear that Big Sexy has the ability to amaze each and every one of us.  I’ve only had this single for a short amount of time, but I truly can’t get enough of it; our ears all know the magic of music that’ll move you when they hear it, and “Michigan” is fully loaded with an irresistible dose for ya.

Find out more about Big Sexy from this multi-link here:  https://linktr.ee/alexgoroshko8

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