Code:
Title: When He's Gone
Length: 3.10
Label: FREEDOM
Genre: R&B, Soul
Written By: Adam Black
Produced By: Den Walnut, Naevah Martinez
'When He's Gone' is the newest single from Adam Black, the last time we heard from Adam was back in March when he released his biggest hit 'Beautiful' well now he is finally back with 'When He's Gone' which is the second single to be released from his full length debut album 'Chemisty Times 3', the song was written by Adam himself, the lyrics talk about how Adam's life just isn't the same without that one special person in his life, so we figure it's about Den, the song was produced by FREEDOM label boss Naevah Martinez along with Adam's boyfriend Den Walnut of 'The Titans', the song was recorded at one of many FREEDOM records recording studios, the song has a length of three minutes and ten seconds and is released via FREEDOM on the 31st of May
'When He's Gone' is an R&B song that has a stong Soul influence due to the song having a strong Blues feel and a 60s vibe, the song also samples 'Ain't No Sunshine' by Bill Withers, which itself was a major hit in the 60s and heavily influence s Adam's soulful sound.
The song starts with Adam singing the first verse of the song in a very soulful, deep husky tone, which helps add to the sad nature of the lyrics after Adam has finished singing the first verse, he can be heard again over the beat changing to the more soul sound as he sings the bridge of the song unlike the verse he sings in a sharp deep tone, after he has finished the bridge, the beat picks up still maintaining that soul sound as Adam can be heard singing the first chrous of the song Adam switches the chorus up completely different to the first verse as he still maintains that low deep husky tone, but he adds a little bit of aggression into his vocals as if he really wants the lyrics to come across as legit, after Adam has finished singing the chorus the beat changes once again back to the original beat found at the beginning of the song a more soft r&b/soul sound, Adam can then be heard singing the second verse of the song he sings the song it pretty much the sane way as he had done in the first verse except that his voice wasn't as deep and because more of the normal Adam singing voice, after Adam finished singing the second verse, again Adsm can be heard over the changing beat to the more soul sound as Adam sings the second bridge section of the song, singing it almost entirely different to the way he had done the first bridge this time he opted for a more sad almost angry tone as he sang he also added extra bit onto the end of the last word of the lines, after finishes the second bridge section Adam can now be heard humming the song to add to the overall sad nature, after adding this twice, the beat then changes again to a more r&b/soul sound beat as Adam can be heard singing the second chorus of the song, this chorus is unique to all others because this chorus is shorter but also the hole chorus is sung in a higher key, as Adam is singing he show off his strong and powerful falsetto vocals as the second chorus comes to an end Adam can again be heard humming again only this time his humming is quiter an calm before the song ends.
The music video for 'When He's Gone' was shot in Paris, France and was a two day long shoot, the video sees Adam lying on a beach at the beginning of the video as the video progresses Adam is seen in a desert setting and as he is singing explosive bombs are going off around him, towards the end of the video Adam is seen in a warehouse singing into a microphone with a band behind him, the video has a length of 3 minutes and fifthteen seconds, the video will premiere on the 2nd of June on Adam's official VEVO and also on the FREEDOM record s website.
The song has received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Sam Lanksy of Idolator gave the song a favorable review, calling it "an emotional ballad that shows off Adams’ sweet vocals." Lansky also praised it, naming it "another exceptional offering from Chemistry Times 3, which is shaping up to be one of the year’s best pop releases." Andrew Unterberger of Pop Dust gave the song a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, commenting that 'When He's Gone' is "a much more satisfying, less ostentatious ballad than 'Beautiful'— though maybe the lyrics are a little too clichéd to result in a classic soul ballad the way Adam seems to be going for." However, he praised Black, which according to him, "nobody puts a song like this over quite like him, and when he hits the big high note on the song’s bridge, it’s about as striking a moment as you’re likely to hear on a pop record this year. It might be a little too perfect to be as uplifting as a song like 'Beautiful', but it might be a big hit just the same, and it’s guaranteed to absolutely slay in a live set." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly was positive, writing that "Old-school charm still gets Balc the furthest, and the best thing here is the classic torch song 'When He's Gone', which finds him at the piano singing all the ways his life isn't the same without that special someone 'he cries in his Sinatra-smooth tenor, oozing charm. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented that "The piano tells it all on this song, which is one of the most certain thongs on the album." Later, he stated, "If this isn’t the beginning of the Frank Sinarta comeback, people should lose their jobs." Jason Lipshut of Billboard wrote that "it will make for a killer lighters-in-the-air moment in concert. Although it's not quite a powerhouse song, 'When He's Gone' smartly allows Black to momentarily remove his fedora and bare his soul." Jessica Sager of Pop Crush opined that "It’s a vulnerable look at the ever-smooth Black, and if it doesn’t pull at your heartstrings at least a little bit, you might not have a soul." Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote that in the ballad, "he matches his bravura performance to a tune stirring enough to inspire aspiring stars on the 'X Factor/Idol' axis for years to come. "Melinda Newman of HitFix called it a "beautiful piano ballad," writing that "There's not to much embellishment, there are samples and there is not a wasted note. "Sandy Cohen of The Huffington Post wrote that "Black is at his best on the bare piano ballad 'When He's Gone'."Andrew Chan of Slant Magazine gave a mixed review for the song, writing that "his melody and lyrics end up sounding as slight as they did before— an embarrassment for an artist who's staked so much of his image on sturdy, old-fashioned songcraft."Robert Copsey of Digital Spy was positive, giving the song a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, praising the "60s style sound and wildly infectious percussion", the "singalong chorus may be a hasty reminder that his strength lies in fist-clenching". He also wrote that considered the song "one of the most interesting musical evolutions of 2014 so far. "Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave the song 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that "The song is about missing someone, but as usual with Black, the aesthetic is tidy and impeccable, pop songcraft polished to a high-gloss gleam: jittery soul verses that twang, amid piano, into a steamrolling chorus." Carl Williott of Idolator also gave the song a positive review, writing that it "shows an interesting musical evolution," and called the song "interesting" and evolutionary for Black. JT of Neon Limelight also praised the song, calling it "irresistible" and "emotional". Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine called it "a driving soul anthem that moves from a sad to a soulful, driven chorus." Matt Cibula of PopMatters further explained the track, writing, "It starts out like Black's pervious single, but the chorus opens up to turn into something less like his previous single and more, dare I say it, more classy and elegant."Kitty Empire of The Observer wrote that the song "channels the sad and lows of a relationship but its 21st-century builds owe as much to soul-pop as they do to producer Den Walnut. It's an ill-omened meeting that somehow gels."Jason Lipshut of Billboard gave a very positive review, stating that "'When He's Gone' is Black's best solo single to date, with the singer-songwriter yelping about someone from his life leaving. Sometimes, the perfect second single is hard to find; other times, it walks right up to you and delivers a big, cozy hug."Melinda Newman of HitFix praised "Black's singing and the catchy little background vocals," which according to her, "keep the song moving downstream at a slow and tear worthy pace." She also noted that "Even clumsy lyrics can’t diminish the sadness that the melody bring."
LyricsAin’t no sunshine when he’s gone
It’s not warm when he’s away
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
And he’s always gone too long
Anytime he goes awayI’ve burned the pictures, every single scrap I’ve found
The collage of a life together, I’ve torn the whole thing down
I duped myself into thinking I may have found the one
In trying to put this puzzle together, the pieces fell undone
I want the world but when the door is closed
A window opens and my hurt is exposed
Wonder this time where he’s gone
Wonder if he’s gone to stay
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
And this house just ain’t no home
Anytime he goes awayI had a plan mapped out, where we’d be in five years
Now that’s in the trash, but the heartache never disappears
What do I do now, that I’ve put everything on hold?
Just to get over a man who disappeared into the cold
I wanted the moon and sun but that’s all gone
The loneliness is just another sign I got it wrong
*humming*
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
Only darkness every day
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
And this house just ain’t no home
Anytime he goes away
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
And this house just ain’t no home
Anytime he goes awaySOUNDS LIKE:
BASED APON/AROUND:
