 Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Moderators, Registered Joined: 18/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 27,685   Location: In between the couch cushions Thanks: 11137 times
Was thanked: 19148 time(s) in 7605 post(s)
|
 Artist: The Zone Title: Guess It's True Genre(s): Pop, Nu-disco, Funk Length: 3:51 Writers: C. Adams, C.Hudson, B.Williams Producer: makesh1ft Label: Big Diamond Records From The Album: TBC Guess It's True is a song recorded by American vocal boy band The Zone. It serves as the lead single from their upcoming, yet-to-be-titled second studio album which is due for release later this year. The song was released on June 11, 2023 after the relaunch of their official website with no prior announcement. "Guess It's True" marks the first release from The Zone in 9 years following 2014's standalone single, "Let's Let Go". It is also the band's first musical release in the original four-piece line-up in a decade. The track was originally written by acclaimed singer-songwriter and The Stat Nerds member Christopher Hudson before later being altered by Chris Adams and Blake Williams. Production was handled by Danish record producer "makesh1ft". "Guess It's True" started out life as a demo titled "Shades of Blue", written by Hudson in 2021. Upon hearing the track during a studio session in April 2023, The Zone members Chris Adams and Blake Williams reworked and retitled the song. It is believed that part of the reason behind the overhaul was to avoid the usage of the word "blue" in the title on account of Williams' ongoing legal battle with ex-boyfriend Dustyn Blue-Conners. "Guess It's True" is a mid-tempo pop song laden with elements of nu-disco and funk, and sung with "breezy" and "cooing" vocals. The track's bassline takes inspiration from 1970s and 80s funk and disco classics, layering guitars and strings to create a "retro" and "authentic" vibe while other nuances within the production add a modern, glossy and polished modern pop feel over the top. Blake Williams features prominently on the track, steering the "soft" and "relaxed" direction of the song's vocals with his smooth falsetto register. Chris Adams also features heavily, opening the track after a decade away from the band and singing in a very similar style and tone to Williams. Liam Allen and Jason Ochoa-Steele sing the pre-choruses, their voices not naturally sitting as high as the aforementioned two members. All four come together to harmonise throughout certain lines of the chorus and the post-chorus. Lyrically, "Guess It's True" is about admitting to falling in love with a person despite ones best efforts to deny it alongside all the unwanted fears and worries that may come with entering a new relationship. Critical reception of "Guess It's True" has been mainly positive upon release thus far. Writing for Stereogum, Holly Reynolds described "Guess It's True" as a "sleek, shimmery and summery tour-de-force", adding that it "exceeded all expectations and then some!". Imelda Hanson of DIY praised the production and vocals of the track, calling them "glossy and mature" before claiming that the song sounds "understated enough not to outstay its welcome yet still so sugary that it leaves you craving a second helping." Craig D'Arby from NME called it "the triumphant comeback nobody was anticipating". He further opined in his review that "Nobody knew what The Zone would sound like in 2023 let alone ever imagining anything of this top tier pop calibre.". Jon Ellison from Slant Magazine described the song as "infectious" and praised writer Christopher Hudson by adding that "the pop sensibilities woven throughout are unmistakably Christopher Hudson". She went on to call the song "perfectly crafted for radio with just enough depth to stay well away from generic Top 40 fodder." In a slightly mixed review, Keith Whitworth of The Guardian stated that "Weekend did the nu-disco thing earlier and much better with "Pucker" and that their return to music felt "safe and unoriginal". He did however go on to call the song "perfectly palatable pop" and state that "it won't change the world but that's absolutely fine."
Chris wrote:"First of all, I want to give a shoutout to Christopher Hudson. Other Chris. A fellow boy band member and a real machine of a writer. He just churned this out, pitched it to artist among a bunch of other songs and it wound up becoming a very important, special track to us. We knew there was something magical about it when we heard the demo. By that point, we had well and truly blown the cobwebs off and had been writing together again for months. It was just Blake and I in a little studio in Miami, sharing a pizza and just shooting the shit while we worked on our interpretation of the song. It all came together so quickly. There's a real synergy between Blake and I when we write. We have a very similar style both with musical phrasing and storytelling in general. We would bat lines back and forth to each other and the whole thing just built itself so beautifully and quickly. It felt so effortless and it's bizarre to think that something so easy has gone on to not only become one of our most favorite songs we've ever done but it's now that big, scary comeback single." Liam wrote:"It definitely fell into place with "Guess It's True". Since coming back, we've been taking everything at our own pace. We've tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible, blocking out any unneeded and unwanted stresses and pressures. We'd be lying if we said we still weren't worrying about the lead single choice. Coming back after 10 years? You wanna get that right! We were sitting on songs for months but we were never in agreement and I think we all knew the right song just hadn't come along...until this one. It fit into place. We all loved it and it's exactly what we want to put forward and encompasses The Zone in 2023. It's pop but it has smoother R&B and funk leanings. It's mature but still has a nod to the typical boyband vibes with our harmonies. It totally bridges the gap from the old and into this new chapter." Jason wrote:"Yeah, everything just makes sense. Nobody hesitated when this was put forward as THEE single. We feel like it's fresh and modern enough to not only appeal to today's market but also potentially bring in new fans. At the same time, it's not too far removed from the pop and R&B vibes we always had. I also love that Chris opens the song. It wasn't planned. We didn't know at the time that this would be our comeback but it feels right having Chris be that first voice you hear. He was known as our voice, our lead singer back in the day. It's also a nice bit of fan service because when he quit, a lot of people were devastated. I just think it's beautiful that my guy Chris is the one who gets to lead the return after all these years. A real full circle moment." Blake wrote:"Echoing what the guys said about things falling into place, feeling natural and all that, I think that there's a beautiful irony in that this song itself is kinda about that. It tells the story of someone who is avoiding that big commitment of love out of fear and worry. They're "leaving it up to the universe" when they're really just using that as an excuse to procrastinate and not deal with any potential upset. Safe in their bubble. That's until they just can't deny it. They're in love and the heart wants what it wants, man. It's a different subject but I think that, for us, we can also sort of relate. We've pushed back on things, taken our time, possibly even more time than we needed. Truly, when is the "right time" for anything? We knew the big, scary single release was looming and now we're finally taking the plunge. Like the person in this song who's feeling all this anticipation, all bundles of both excitement and worry, all the "what ifs" and endorphins...that's us about to relaunch after a decade away. It's all falling into place, I believe. Time to rip off that band aid."
"GUESS IT'S TRUE"All
Blake
Chris
Jason
LiamBetting it all upon a sign
Questioning all reason and rhyme
Leave the heavy stuff to the universe
Waking up just before the scream
Maybe it'll make sense in the next dream
Fear that reality never worksIt's all what ifs and maybes
Driven a hundred forms of crazy
Much safer back in my own bed
Scared of what awaits over the edgeDistorted in the depths down under
You went and pulled me deep
Can't keep my head above the water
Ooooh, what's wrong with me?
Swaying with your waves, dreaming shades of blue
Well if this sounds like love and feels like love
Then I guess it's trueOoooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's true
Ooooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's trueWish I could leave it all to a dice
Seconds away from a paradise
But I know all the troubles that go down
Damn, we connected on the spiritual
Manifesting to the physical
Split second choices in the here and nowIt's all what ifs and maybes
They've been consuming me lately
Out here rolling in the rough
Since you ripped off the kid glovesDistorted in the depths down under
You went and pulled me deep
Can't keep my head above the water
Ooooh, what's wrong with me?
Swaying with your waves, dreaming shades of blue
Well if this sounds like love and feels like love
Then I guess it's trueOoooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's true
Ooooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's trueDon't know which way is up but here I amNot going to pretend that I understandTopsy-turvy, wavy, a constant rushFingers on lips, gotta keep it hushNever done this, don't wanna say too muchBut if it sounds like...(uh!)Yeah, if it feels like...(yeah!)Well, I guess it's loveDistorted in the depths down under
You went and pulled me deep
Can't keep my head above the water
Ooooh, what's wrong with me?
Swaying with your waves, dreaming shades of blue
Well if this sounds like love and feels like love
Then I guess it's trueOoooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's true
Ooooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's trueOoooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's true
Ooooh-ah-ooh-ooh-ooooh
Well I guess it's trueCan Be Compared To:
|
     WEEKEND: BILLY • DUSTYN • OSCAR • RILEY • SCOTT
PUBLIC WARNING: BEAU • CARTER LEE • JAKE • MYLES • ZANDER
THE STAT NERDS: BRIAN • CHRISTOPHER
THE ZONE: BLAKE • CHRIS • JASON • LIAM
JOSHUA GRIMMIE • LINCOLN • LAYLA • MERCEDES • MICHELLE GREEN
ANDREA • DENEIL • CHICAGO NOBODY • BLOOM • SONNY • VICTORIA BLACK
REUBEN • ELLIE-GRACE SUMMERS • ALFIE SUMMERS • MICAH DELISLE
JAMIE JACKSON • KONSTANTIN • FAYETTE • SAYYID |
 9 users thanked BrownSugar for this useful post.
|
|
