MJayNumberOne – “Tutti i Giorni” / “I See You”

MJayNumberOne – “Tutti i Giorni” / “I See You” – Singles Review

Alright…two very different slices of sound from our friend MJayNumberOne, who last appeared on our pages back in September of last year as we checked out his album SUMMERtime POPsicles.  I know which of these two new singles I prefer when it comes to their sound, but ultimately, even here in their demo stages, I can also hear that both tracks have their own unique avenues of potential as well.

So let’s start with the cross-cultural cut he’s got with “Tutti i Giorni” to start, which roughly translates to “everyday” according to Google.  As much as I’d love to tell you I retained anything outta the Italian class I took for one semester way back in grade ten…yeah…I’ll be honest, I’m relying on internet translations for most of it now.  I digress.  You don’t NEED to know Italian to connect to “Tutti i Giorni,” but it is possible that you’d get that much more out of this track if you did, as MJayNumberOne will spend a little bit of time going back & forth between English & Italian languages at different points within the song.  There are things that I do like about this track.  What works for me I think the most is found in the verses – I feel like MJayNumberOne put in a real confident performance, but I also felt like the way that he’s designed his words throughout the verses was also genuinely compelling to listen to.  Between the delivery and the design, he’s got a very engaging combination of two strong elements that’ll definitely be able to capture the attention of many people out there.  Plus, look at the word selection and notice how enticing that is!  You want to hear more of what he’s got to say in this song, because it really is said in a very unique way.  That’s what works.  Now…I’m not saying that the rest doesn’t, but I do think there are a few obstacles that could potentially be barriers between “Tutti i Giorni” and the average everyday listeners out there.  Exhibit A would be the main hooks of this song…again, performance-wise, they’re alright…but if we’re judging by the potency of its content, I don’t personally see these hooks as being strong enough to bring people back for another spin, but I would likely still agree that they are memorable.  Might just not be my thing, and that’s okay, I’m just one dude.  Like I said, the hooks are alright, they’re a good enough fit…but the question becomes whether or not ‘good enough’ was what MJayNumberOne was aiming for, you feel me?  In my opinion, you need something that’s just as inspired as the verses to at least rival them within the chorus/hooks…and right now, to me it seems like there’s less balance between these main elements of MJayNumberOne’s latest song.  The other main issue I have with it is even tougher to get around – and that’s that he’s practically got an educational track here.  *horror screams emanate outta nowhere*  I know, I know, I know – you hate learning stuff when you’re just trying to listening to music…I’ve heard it countless times.  I wouldn’t outright accuse MJayNumberOne of deliberately trying to make you smarter…so calm down a bit.  What he’s got here is essentially his own love letter to Italy in many ways…it’s a respectful tribute of sorts, you know what I mean?  While it’s true that you might learn a thing or two by listening to this song, you can, and should, still view it as based in entertainment.  That’s the real intention still, but you do have this cross-cultural aspect to it that’ll give it crossover potential as well.  In my opinion, if MJayNumberOne was to go about redesigning the main hooks anyway…I dunno…I might just be tempted to go in an even more educational direction, which might open up the doors for a song like this to be placed in some pretty unique spots like tourism and educational videos.  Again, it really depends on what he wants to do with his music of course, but if you’re not looking at a song that’s going to generate gobs and gobs of commercialized success, then there is literally no harm whatsoever in looking into where else a song could exist, make an impact, and be heard.  “Tutti i Giorni” might just end up in different places than he might have originally intended in that regard, but it could still find its own successful path somewhere.

Currently, with both these tracks being regarded as demos, I’m not gonna worry about the production aspects too much…I think MJayNumberOne knows there are still improvements that can be made to enhance each cut I’ve got here.  I’ll tell you this much though – “I See You” is already very close to where it needs to go, and I think this track has got enormous potential.  I look at it this way, even here in its demo form, I’m pretty much addicted to it already…so that only bodes well for the fully finished product if you ask me.  Where this really works well is the combination of atmosphere & the music he’s created – you can feel the sincerity and emotion within “I See You,” and that’s what we connect with, instantly.  I still think there’s plenty of work to be put in here, don’t get me wrong, but MJayNumberOne has all the right pieces of this puzzle for sure.  LISTEN to that extra hook he adds into the music around the 1:40-ish mark will ya?  Beyond genius…and a smart way to take this song from good to great.  You almost want to hear it added in earlier…because it is THAT good…but I also appreciate that it’s a key ingredient in moving this song forward.  Just know that that’s the most effective hook in the whole song MJayNumberOne – and don’t be afraid to give it some more time in the spotlight.  Like, I could personally see a song like this at three times its current length if he was to play his cards right.  First go around is pretty much what he’s got there right now…maybe loop that over twice…and now hear me out – what if he was to go like, orchestral with it, or something completely wild to raise things up again for a third act…I mean…the hooks in this song are strong enough to really make this track a moment that listeners will never forget.  The melody here is special…and the more that he leans into that, the further this song will be able to go in the end as it goes from being in its demo stages to the fully finished single-worthy track it can become.  Is there anything else I’d consider?  Yes.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s harder to adjust and maybe not even necessary as there are aspects of the lyricism that follow a storyline that has something relevant to do with flight & such…so in this rare instance, I’m actually kind of okay with all that – but just keep in mind there’s not a day that goes by here where I’m not writing about some artist or band’s song that has a line or two about how someone should ‘just fly’ or ‘spread their wings’ or whatever the case may be.  Reach into that bag MJayNumberOne, and keep the focus sharp on staying as unique as possible while avoiding clichés that have been explored too much, and I think you’re on the right path.  Like I said, with there being multiple references within “I See You,” I’m not all that bent outta shape about it…it fits thematically, and I’m cool with that – all I’m saying is to be as conscious as possible about what people have heard before, and do your best to give’em something that they haven’t.  Make no mistake though, I’ll take “I See You” as it is already even if nothing else ever gets adjusted at all – I really like what the man has come up with here, and I’ve got all the faith that if we just let him cook, this track has all the right ingredients to become something even more extraordinary than it already is now.

Find out more about MJayNumberOne from his official website at:  https://mjaynumberone.com

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