Title: Touchdown
Length: 4.07
Genre: Jazz, Pop, Adult Contemporary
Written By: Adam Black
Label: FREEDOM
Release Date: November 30th
Produced By: Will.Rocca, Bob Rock
Sounds Like: Micheal Buble - Hold On'Touchdown' is the newest single from American singer-songwriter Adam Black, the single is the third to be lifted from his full length debut album which has recently been titled as 'Memories', the song was written by Adam himself and has the topic of someone capturing his heart and him never wanting them to let him go, the song has production credits from Will.Rocca and Stargate, the song is set for on November 30th via FREEDOM Records.
The song incorporates three music genres, Jazz, Pop and Adult Contemporary, the reason for this is because Adam wanted to blend in two genres that are typically not seen as mainstream genres Jazz and Adult Contemporary and then blend them with a mainstream genre in Pop, thus creating a overall Soulful Jazz sound, he also has Bob Rock to thank for the Jazz sound on this song this marks the first time Bob Rock and Adam have worked together.
The music video for 'Touchdown' follows on from his previous video but moves away from a beach setting and moves in land and to Italy were Adam is seen on the streets playing with children before he is seen driving around in the back of a car just enjoying himself with the person he is singing about, the video is set for release on Monday and will be sent to his official VEVO channel as well as the FREEDOM website.
The song starts with Adam singing the opening verse begin a piano feeled beat, Adam sings with a soft and light voice to emphasis the feeling of the song as he is the the beat behind him is changing slowly as he progresses further into the verse with a drum beat coming in towards the middle, the beat then speeds up slightly as Adam sings the first chorus again with a soft and light tone but with a bit more power in his vocals to get across what he is trying to say, as his finishes singing the chorus the beat changes back to just the piano beat as Adam begins to sing the second verse, instead of the soft and light tone to his voice for the second verse Adam sings in a powerful almost forceful tone this is again to emphasis what the lyrics say, as he continues to sing the second verse again as he is singing the beat behind him is changing and once again towards the middle the drum beat comes in, after Adam finishs the second verse he begins to sing the second chorus again with a soft and light tone but backed with a slightly powerful tone Adam almost towards the end of this chorus sings it in falsetto showing off his vocal range, after he finishes the second chorus the beat then changes once again to just the piano beat as Adam begins to sing the third verse of the song some count this verse as a bridge section as it's shorter than the other verses, as Adam is singing the third verse in falsetto once again the beat behind him is changing but this time no drum beat can be heard instead the piano beat changes it arrangement slightly, as the third verse comes to an end there is then a bridge section again were Adam shows off his vocal range with his now signature rifts and trills all sung in falsetto and in a light and breezy tone, after this there is yet another bridge section but Adam sings this bridge in a regular key but changes key towards the end to once again perform some vocal rifts, after the second bridge the beat changes again to the piano beat along with the drum beat as Adam sings the chorus for a final time again singing with a powerful and forceful tone to his voice but again also towards the end goes into a higer falsetto key as the song comes to an end after a five second outro.
CRITICAL RECEPTION/REVIEWSThe song has been well received by music critics. Digital Spy's Nick Levine gave the song four out of five stars and described it as a "huge-hearted soul jam" and compared it with Micheal Buble but noted a different sound to Buble,In her review for Billboard, Megan Vick wrote: "Over a breezy piano beat and vaguely Jazz breakbeat, With its steady, danceable pulse and singalong chorus, Black has created a feel-good jam that should establish him as a contender in his own right.", Nima Baniamer from Contactmusic.com felt that "there is something about the single that makes Adam Black stand out from all the other artists dominating the charts at the moment", and said, "The song is full of charisma, but also comes across quite sexy and classy, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote that one "gets the feeling that 'Touchdown,' with its grand harmonies, classically kooky hooks and sly undertones, is the musical mode that makes Black the happiest." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly remarked that the song "makes silk-jumpsuit Jazz feel contemporary," while Spin's Dan Hyman favorably compared "Touchdown" to the work of American sixties artists and big band. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian described the song as a "sprightly Jazz-Pop thumper". Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song a rating of 4 out of 5, stating that Black " insists over '60 smooth funk piano and retro-styled sixties beats, before declaring his acceptance, The result sounds like a modern day 'sixites jam'; a feat that few could get away with pulling off so authentically".
Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen commented that "Touchdown" is a creamy Michael Buble/Sinatra-schooled Jazz number. while Matt Cibula from Pop Matters compared also the "funky" song with the two musicians' work saying that "Touchdown" works that a Jazz beat any day will be a gem". Matthew Horton from BBC Music wrote that the track has a "sugary early 60s Jazz Pop", and that it "is lathered in so much slap bass it starts to sting". Evan Rytle of The A.V. Club opined that Adam is "capably sells himself as a one-man on a mission of acceptance, on the Jazz-spiked "Touchdown"."Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine gave the song a positive review, writing that "Touchdown” is self worth-themed funk-pop with gooey synth pads and enormous slap-piano fills that punch through like air-humps" Sam Lanksy of Idolator gave the song a favorable review, calling it "an emotional song that shows off Adams’ sweet vocals." Lansky also praised it, naming it "another exceptional offering from Memories, which is shaping up to be one of the year’s best pop/soul releases."
Andrew Unterberger of Pop Dust gave the song a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, commenting that 'Touchdown' is "a much more satisfying, less ostentatious than any of Adam's pervious releases— though maybe the lyrics are a little too clichéd to result in a classic Jazz jam 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 jazz record this year. It might be a little too perfect to be as uplifting as a song like his previous work, but it might be a big hit just the same, and it’s guaranteed to absolutely slay in a live acoustic set." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly was positive, writing that "Old-school charm still gets Black the furthest, and the best thing here is the classic torch song 'Touchdown', which finds him singing all the ways his life isn't the same without being someone in his life. 'He cries in his Sinatra-smooth tenor, oozing charm". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented that "The jazzy beat tells it all on this song, which is one of the most certain things on the album." Later, he stated, "If this isn’t the beginning of a Sinatra rebirth, then 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, 'Touchdown' smartly allows Black to momentarily remove his fedora and bare his soul to the person he loves."
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 and passion to be a life saver." Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote that in the song, "he matches his bravura performance to a tune stirring enough to inspire aspiring stars on the axis for years to come. "Melinda Newman of HitFix called it a "beautiful jazzy song," 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 up beat jazzy number 'Touchdown'."Andrew Chan of Slant Magazine gave a mixed review for the song, writing that "his melody and lyrics end up sounding more tired 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 he 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, Jazz songcraft polished to a high-gloss gleam: jittery Jazz verses that twang brightly, amid beat, 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 "funky". Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine called it "a driving jazz anthem that moves from a sad to a jazz, driven chrous"
LyricsThere was a time when I felt like the world was against me
That everything I did was wrong or unheard of
Just like a rocket, out of the blue there came you
You save me from the depths of despair
Your the one that took the weight off my shoulders
The one that made me feel wanted and loved
All of this just for me being me
And not just another face in a mentally messed up crowd
You touchdown on my heart and make it start beating again
You make me feel like I am the only one
That matters to you, I am your special boo
If you ever leave I don't know what I would do without you
There simply won't be me without you
So now you've touchdown on my heart please say you'll keep it
Put it on lockdown and never lose itThere was no were for me to escape from everyone
I was always told off for just being me
Am I such a criminal state of mind
Your the only one that understand me and the way I am
The one that is always there when times get tough and a little rough
And not just another face that I can't see in the crowd
You make me feel wanted you make me feel loved
But most of all you make me feel like there is a reason for my existence
And why I am live in the crowd
You touchdown on my heart and make it start beating again
You make me feel like I am the only one
That matters to you, I am your special boo
If you ever leave I don't know what I would do without you
There simply won't be me without you
So now you've touchdown on my heart please say you'll keep it
Put it on lockdown and never lose itFrom now on you promise to always be by my side
For better or worse, in sickness and health
You came in to my life when I was at my lowest
I pushed you away to avoid hurting you any further than I already had
But thankfully you came back and just in the nick of time
To save me from what could of been my demise
You touchdown on my heart and make it start beating again
You make me feel like I am the only one
That matters to you, I am your special boo
If you ever leave I don't know what I would do without you
There simply won't be me without you
So now you've touchdown on my heart please say you'll keep it
Put it on lockdown and never lose itYour the one that got rid of the negativity in my body, mind and soul
The bad vibes that were once in my troubled life
It was you that told me leave all the bad in the past and move on
To make a fresh start to live the life I once had
You have made me feel like I am the best thing in the world
I love you for making me see sense and telling me to grow up
You have made me your face in the crowd
You touchdown on my heart and make it start beating again
You make me feel like I am the only one
That matters to you, I am your special boo
If you ever leave I don't know what I would do without you
There simply won't be me without you
So now you've touchdown on my heart please say you'll keep it
Put it on lockdown and never lose itSOUNDS LIKE:
