Michelle Ray crafts another winner on newest single, "Dear Hollywood"
Review by Austin Sher
Released today on January 15th, 2020, Michelle Ray has shared her first single of 2021, “Dear Hollywood”. We are loving it! Please read along with us as we break down our complete thoughts on the track, in addition to a background on the artist as well.
For those unaware, Michelle Ray is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter who’s been involved with music since a young age. Taking influence from artists like Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars, it’s no doubt that she’s already crafted a signature sound for herself, bordering more towards Soul, R&B, and Pop. On “Dear Hollywood”, she’s solidified the obvious, that she’s incredibly talented.
After seeing success by being featured on NBC’s The Voice (Team Blake), Michelle has spent the better part of last year writing, recording, and further developing her overall sound. Before we fully get into it, Michelle did let us in on the background of the song, “Dear Hollywood' is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written and I couldn’t be more proud of it. It’s essentially the story of my life and relationship with Hollywood’s unrealistic standards”.
While you’ll hear it by listening, Michelle’s vocal delivery and cadence on the track is as honest and forward as it needs to be. Taking away the grand production for a moment, her lyrics speak honestly to the facade that Hollywood truly is. Artists like her though are taking steps to eventually break that mold and uncover the truth. It’s talents like these, the untouched talents, that are helping to reshape the music industry and scene as a whole.
Our first impressions of “Dear Hollywood” were just how much greatness got packed in in such a short amount of time. Right from the get go, the inclusion of the orchestration, mainly harps, added an unprecedented layer that was welcomed. It wasn’t long after that Michelle’s voice entered the mix and happily took over everything that was happening in the background. As productionally profound as the song was, the star of the show was so clearly her delivery.
Featuring a big bass, loads of atmospheric sounds, and layered vocals, this was quite the song to debut into the New Year. It immediately makes you want to drop what you’re doing and extensively listen to the rest of her discography. Seriously though, without sounding like we’re exaggerating, this track is an absolute winner and we really can’t wait to see what else the artist delivers in 2021.
It should go without saying, but we’re highly recommending and suggesting you take the time out of your day and give this a listen, you will not be disappointed. With that being said, all things Michelle Ray, listening links, social links, and more can be found below. Enjoy!
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