Title: Hickies & Scratches
Length: 3:50
Genre: R&B, pop
Songwriters: A.Mikkel, D.Wright, A.Birgisson
Producers: Arnthor Birgisson
World Premiere Date: September 23rd, 2015
Digital Release Date: September 27th, 2015
Airplay Release Date: September 27th, 2015
Streaming: September 23rd, 2015
Record Label: FREEDOM
Music Video: TBA
As we reach the fourth quarter of 2015, many acts are releasing their new singles leading up to highly anticipated albums as we reach the fourth quarter of the year. Among these new artists is Aubrey Mikkel, the R&B star who has risen to the summit of R&B and continues to be a force to be reckon with. Mikkel rose to stardom years ago as the first winner of talent competition Starfactory. Following the show's commencement, Mikkel released consistently successful music that has imprinted the 25 year old as a major figure in urban music, and music as a whole. This year alone Aubrey has had a successful run. After taking a hiatus from releasing music that lasted about five months, she returned with her most recent single "Photoshop Free". The record was a boastful yet unorthodoxed trap and r&B concoction that was not only a club banger that spoke about the use of editing tools to change your appearance, but a record in that encourages you to embrace your flaws no matter what they are and not to create an illusion for the people surrounding you. "Photoshop Free" was met with mixed to positive reception from critics but became a major success nonetheless. The record peaked at #2 but stood atop urban airplay for a recording setting four weeks. Continuing on, Aubrey Mikkel was nominated at the Fan Choice Awards for Favorite Urban Act and Favorite Urban Single for "Photoshop Free". Aubrey Mikkel was awarded with Favorite Urban Single for Photoshop Free, earning Aubrey her first ever FCA of her career. Mikkel was present at the show and gave a rather short acceptance speech, walking on stage and murmuring "Knew it! Ya'll chose the right one...haha, thanks!" before walking off stage. Following the success of "Photoshop Free", Mikkel announced that her new studio album "No Love Lost" had been finished for months, but she was waited for the right time to drop it and went on to state that the album would come after one more single was released. Aubrey's long awaited album has been anticipated since the release of "Ashes In The Rain" and "Victimized" which experienced releases last year, Photoshop Free and now it's fourth release that is being premiered and streamed today.
Aubrey Mikkel's newest single is entitled "Hickies & Scratches" and is the final single released before the release of Aubrey Mikkels long awaited album "No Love Lost". The record will experience distribution by Aubrey's current record label, FREEDOM on September 27th, 2015 to Digital Outlets and Airplay formats. The single was made available for official streaming today on September 23rd, 2015. "Hickies & Scratches were one of the last singles recorded for the new album. It was penned in March of 2015 by Aubrey and when Aubrey traveled to Sweden for a chain of shows, she was approached by a few Swedish producers who were interested in working with her. Among those producers was Arnthor Birgisson who Aubrey took a liking to. In the months that Mikkel was in Sweden, the two crafted together an cinematic urban record that Aubrey felt matched perfectly with the written contents of Hickies & Scratches, her wide vocal abilities and direction of the album. The record was recorded, mixed, and finalized in August of 2015 and was held off for some time to be released without any notice today. Hickies & Scratches is much in contrast to Mikkel's previous release and that was the whole point. Aubrey felt that after a club ready single like the attitude driven "Photoshop Free" she wanted to release a song that showed her vulnerability and vocal prowess like many of her previous records and when you hear Hickies & Scratches you can genuinely hear that Aubrey is more at home vocally as she shines over the production with gliding vocals, vulnerable belts and emotional runs. The record starts off with a piano-lead introduction, followed by a beautifully sung verse where Aubrey sings about her suspicions about a shady loved one who might be engaging in infidelity first starting with the opening lines /Boy you came home last night, smelling like cheap perfume/. Over the next few lines the record gradually declines in pitch, and on the word “me” becomes even more strikingly beautiful. The piano lead beginning then takes a turn on the hook where Aubrey coos her frustrations about feeling betrayed. The beats are cinematic, synth driven and not too over the top, and is perfect for listeners to really pay attention to the lyrics and Aubrey's strong vocal delivery.
Throughout the song Aubrey sings about this protagonist who has Hickies and scratches on his body that clearly points toward cheating and the female seems to be uncovering all these indications and suspicions. Will she up and leave? Who knows? "Hickies and Scratches" leaves listeners on a cliff hanger as Aubrey sings mostly about feeling betrayed instead of efforts to leave this womanizer, something that many people have trouble doing in my relationships. They are so attached that they can't find the courage to leave that person. The bridge of the record is haunting and moving as Aubrey brings her best vocal run in the final line of the bridge that takes us to the big final chorus.
*Piano instrumental*
Boy you came home last night, smelling like cheap perfume
When I asked you where you had been, you sat hummin' to a tune
I'm not a fool, something ain't right with you,
I know that you been fooling around on me, I'm gonna find her too
When you got with me you didn't have a penny to your name
I took you in baby, beneath my wing
Kept money in your pocket bought you brand new things
And this is the way you repay me for everything?The hickies on your neck and the scratches on your back?
Boy they didn't come from me
You been working over time, twenty five eight
Loving on someone else instead of loving on me
The hickies on your neck and the scratches on your back
Baby they didn't come from me
You been working over time, twenty five eight
Loving on someone else instead of loving on meWhen I washed your clothes, found lipstick on the shirt you wore
Don’t think for a second that I don't know what's going on
You know I love you to the core, that's why I haven’t walked out the door
Cause when you love somebody sometimes it’s hard to love no more
When you got with me you didn't have a penny to your name
I took you in baby, beneath my wing
Kept money in your pocket bought you brand new things
And this is the way you repay me for everything?The hickies on your neck and the scratches on your back?
Boy they didn't come from me
You been working over time, twenty five eight
Loving on someone else instead of loving on me
The hickies on your neck and the scratches on your back
Baby they didn't come from me
You been working over time, twenty five eight
Loving on someone else instead of loving on me You won't miss your water, til your well runs dry
I've seen this happen, so many times in my life
When you do somebody wrong, who done right by you
Ain’t nothing good in life, gonna to come to you
The hickies on your neck and the scratches on your back?
Boy they didn't come from me
You been working over time, twenty five eight
Loving on someone else instead of loving on me
The hickies on your neck and the scratches on your back
Baby they didn't come from me
You been working over time, twenty five eight
Loving on someone else instead of loving on me
