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 Title: Lock Away and HideLength: 4:23Genre: Pop, R&BRecorded: New York City, New YorkReleased: May 14th, 2013Written by: Jennifer ArmstrongProduced by: Sunny Monroe, Phil N, Martika D.Background InformationJennifer seeks influence from a classic track from the Chordettes and their hit single, 'Mr. Sandman,' as she uses them for inspiration to start off the track, and idea that Armstrong got from producer Phil N. It was then the idea of Sunny to infuse it with an urban inspired beat to create one of the catchiest songs on the album. Even though the topic is painful to Jen, the song almost presents a light side to it but she makes up for it with her vocals that bleed pain all over them. Jen wrote the song prior to her finishing up the album and just before she got out of rehab. She talks about the challenges she was presented with and the struggle of knowing who she was as a person anymore.Description'Lock Away and Hide' opens up with a vocal arrangement that is reminiscent to the Chordettes’ 1954 track ‘Mr. Sandman.’ Jen opens up by singing in a light and soft tone that progressively builds throughout the verse. When she reaches the Pre-Chorus, the song starts to take a turn as her vocals become more powerful and confident which leads into the belting of the chorus. Her vocals are on point, never missing a note and she transitions between breathy, pitches to full-blown wailing. You can hear the soft '(Ooh, Oohs)' being sung in the background during the singing of the verses and the 'Buh, Bah, Bum's' are heard all during the song. The beat also transitions from just a simple Pop sound to a more R&B inspired with the slow and steady tone to it. Armstrong's vocals are now taking charge so it matches evenly with the beat. Jen more than delivers on the song by blowing everyone away with her astounding vocals and emotion that she pours into the track. In the song, Jen talks about being in rehab and how ashamed and embarrassed she felt by being there. She also sings that she knew she had to go there to get better, as sung in the first verse, 'No one took me away/I decided I couldn't stay/In the same room as you/Not this way'. Quote:"This is one of my favorites on the album because it holds such a personal meaning to me. I wrote this song probably when I just got out of rehab. I had a ton of emotions flowing through me and the one thing that I remembered feeling at first was embarrassment. People don't know that I really lashed out at a lot of people and I felt like I lost control in my life. I was just becoming someone I didn't recognize at all and I hated it so rehab was the only solution I saw. I felt like I let my family down, I lost a lot of friends and it was a terrible time for me. When I got out, I felt a lot better about myself. I changed my life completely and in the end it benefited me because I'm still here. The song is basically about me struggling to find out who I was and how I didn't want to confront it, I just wanted to run and hide away from it but I couldn't. Sometimes you just need to face a problem head on to get better and it got better for me."
Pop Crush Review"If you take away an artists ability to perform, you've probably stripped away all of their glamor. If you strip away Jennifer Armstrong's ability to perform, she can probably still sell out arenas and shows just by the sheer excitement of hearing her thunderous voice. Armstrong is one of few singers who don't need flashiness or dance moves to be a marketable and selling artist and she proves it time and time again with her albums, her live performances, and her singles. Although there is probably nothing spectacular about the young adult, the one thing that is counts the most in this industry; her voice. There are few who can sing at the capacity as Ms. Armstrong and even fewer young stars who can (ex. Ariana Grande, Carly Rose Sonenclar), just to name a few. She proves it with her latest album, TWENTY-THREE and with a few stand-out tracks especially, namely this one. Lock Away and Hide features a sample of the ever so popular track, 'Mr. Sandman' by the Chordettes and twists it into her own Pop/R&B sound. Although her voice is light and breathy in the beginning, she's prepping you for the full blown whaling that's about to take place.
The base of the song is about Armstrong's battle with depression and her stay in rehab. It's often the most shameful and upsetting experiences in life that make for an awesome song, and Jennifer is full of them. She sings with hurt engulfing her voice and taking completely over while maintaining a level or maturity of her. Even Jennifer is not what you would call a "perfect" vocalist, she never gives less than amazing vocal abilities. There were a few times in the song I found myself wincing a bit at the highness of notes, almost comparative to a cat shrieking or getting set on fire, but still not a bad job at all. Most importantly, she surprised fans who a majority of them thought she would seek the easy way out and release the single with best friend and pop Princess Isabel which might have granted her instant success due to Izzy's track record but she decided to flourish with her own vocals in this emotionally charged single. If you really want to connect with Jen on a professional level, you should follow her personality. If you want to connect with Jen on a personal level, follow her storytelling through songwriting. This single could go either way. People will either fall in love with it or be dismissive as sometimes the industry goes. One thing is for sure, the track is a timeless record as proven with the sample. The wait is over, it's time for YOU to be the judge!" - Cristin Maui
Lyrics
Buh, Bah, Bum (x16)
[Verse 1]
I don't know who I am
I'm doing things that I have said
Would never happen to me
But it's not a dream
No one took me away
I decided I couldn't stay
In the same room as you
Not this way
[Pre-Chorus]
Maybe I should, let down this wall
I won't just walk, until I can crawl
Out of this hole, that keeps devouring me
And if I do this, don't have to pretend
I know what I want, I know all my friends
Are there for me, so I don't need to run
[Chorus]
Cus that's not my true identity
On the outside I lock away and hide
The regret and sadness that never seizes
To torment me deep down inside
It takes advantage of me, oh how it teases
It teases me
[Verse 2]
I wish I could try
To be someone else for the night
Inside it's hurting me
To hear you cry
Don't want you to say
That this will always be the way
That I will live my life
I know it's not right
[Pre-Chorus]
It's just not fair, that you aren't here
To lose you like this, was my biggest fear
Tried to go back, but the damage was done
I wanna escape, no light I have found
The darkness it follows, me all around
Until I am six feet under
[Chorus]
Cus that's not my true identity
On the outside I lock away and hide
The regret and sadness that never seizes
To torment me deep down inside
It takes advantage of me, oh how it teases
It teases me
[Bridge]
People constantly thinking that I'm just
A pretty girl with a charming personality
Forever having fun, without a care in the world
Truth be told they've got the wrong kind of girl
They've got the wrong girl
[Chorus]
Cus that's not my true identity
On the outside I lock away and hide
The regret and sadness that never seizes
To torment me deep down inside
It takes advantage of me, oh how it teases
It teases me
Oh how it teases me
Ohh how it teases me
It teases me
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 Do you like reading reviews on anime? Manga? Games? Do you wanna support a fellow black nerd? Then click above.  Isabel-Pixie-Nova-Jennifer Armstrong-Dylan Shaw-Eden Pryce-Taara Jay-Jupiter Jones-Imani
Kato-Eilidh-Nothing But Trouble-Hayden-Serenity Scott-Anaísz-Kimi Kubo "My God! We truly are a talented bunch. The fact that we write entire albums all on our own while the biggest stars in the world have 45 co-writers on ONE track?? Where the hell are OUR record deals and GRAMMYS?" -BrownSugar |
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