John Owonibi – “Gratitude” Feat. Dr Mayorkeys
John Owonibi – “Gratitude” Feat. Dr Mayorkeys – Single Review
Trust me when I tell ya, it’s extremely rare for you to find me agreeing with some random comment made on a YouTube channel, but after I watched the video for “Gratitude” by John Owonibi featuring pianist Dr Mayorkeys, I found one that perfectly detailed how I was feeling.
It read: “This can’t be the end of this powerful song sir. There is more sir.” #Amen!
I mean, that IS the reality here – a minute and seventeen seconds is all you get in “Gratitude,” and there’s no possible way that could be enough time for anyone to spend with a song as stunningly perfect as this one is. I’ve never been the person out there to advocate too much for too little when it comes to the length of songs as it is, but I tell ya folks…it actually gets tougher to feel good about something being so short when it is THIS freakin’ good. A short single that doesn’t cut the mustard or feel like it’s going to go somewhere would be one thing – but a track like “Gratitude” feels like we were just about ready to hear a real breakthrough moment in time that would have this pairing heading towards the podium to collect the Grammy award for best Gospel song. By the time we start to realize just how incredibly special this song really is, it’s like John and Dr Mayorkeys take the rug right out from underneath us and “Gratitude” is already over! Like…yo! Y’all know I want to be nothing but supportive on these pages of ours whenever I can be – and I AM in this instance as well, but like…as my new friend on the internet put it so aptly – “there is more sir” – right? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard 1:17 sound so infinitely profound.
Credit where credit is due, Dr Mayorkeys hits every right note, and Owonibi does an exceptional job in singing this song right alongside him. The graceful way that Dr Mayorkeys plays the piano reveals that he’s got the kind of skills that take years to master, with a natural connection to melody that cannot possibly be taught. The man clearly feels the music he’s playing, and he’s able to pass that immaculate vibe of “Gratitude” onto us. Owonibi is a remarkable talent as well – these two combined make an outstanding duo that are capable of moving hearts and minds through their words and music, and they should be seriously applauded for their efforts on this single right here. Honestly…you regular readers of these pages of ours know that if I’ve got something to say, I’m just gonna tell it like it is…and I’m about as speechless as I feel like I’ve ever been in listening to “Gratitude.” There are plenty of songs in this world that benefit from having some kind of critic like myself describing what they hear or how it makes them feel – and there are songs like “Gratitude” that completely speak on their own behalf and defy description in the absolute best of ways. You feel the “Gratitude,” the respect, and the warmth of love within every ticking second of this single from the music to the microphone, and to be truthful, anything I could possibly say would only be pale in comparison to what it’s like to actually hear this song.
It’s a genuinely beautiful moment to be remembered I tell ya. I’m a big fan of piano to begin with, but hearing it played with such surgical precision like Dr Mayorkeys does, and accompanied by such extraordinary sincerity in John’s vocals…there’s not a doubt in my mind that this is a completely winning combination of talent. Do they need to provide us with an extended remix or something that makes a song like “Gratitude” become closer to three or four minutes in length? YES! “There is more sir” – or sirs in this particular scenario…you get it. We can push repeat until our fingers are sore, but there isn’t anything stopping John and the good Dr from pushing themselves creatively for a bit longer too, right?
Undeniably great work from start to finish, by both members in this duo. Even though it’s super short, it’s also super focused and everything is in exactly the right place that it should be. I’m absolutely impressed by what I’ve heard on “Gratitude,” and would take another song from these two, anytime.
Find out more about Dr Mayorkeys at Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agboola-mayowa-g?utm_source=share
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