Ethan Russell – Blue (2023)
Introduced to a world of music from a young age, singer-songwriter Ethan Russell embraced his passion to make music early on in life. Along with his desire to compose and produce melodies, Russell was eager to entertain and inspire. In September 2013, he began loading lifestyle/comedy content to a YouTube channel garnering a dedicated following. We’re not here to discuss his YouTube endeavours, today we’re taking a gander at his musical projects.
Since the production and release of his debut single ‘Circles’, Russell has released his debut album Not So Flawless, the EP Wild & Free, and various singles along the way. When speaking of his earlier material, Russell shares that “some of the mixes are a little questionable, but I’m still really proud of the work I did.” The latest addition to his repertoire is the single ‘Blue’ and, personally, I find the production sophisticated but with an endearing raw innocence.
Following his well-received single ‘Someone Like U’, ‘Blue’ has a strong dream pop sound with pulsating beats, smooth synths and a toe-tapping electropop drive. Easily capturing modern-day pop styles in a contemporary tone, ‘Blue’ is a refreshing tune. The thing is, just as it falls alongside modern artists like The 1975, a strong nostalgic flair of 80s synth-pop floats in the melody. I find this intriguing as there is not only familiarity in the song but freshness in the familiarity capturing audiences of all ages.
Inspired by real-life events and experiences, Ethan Russell’s music is a coming-of-age journey for LGBTQ+ individuals facing societal pressures. In his song Circles’, Russell sang about being isolated as an LGBTQ+ person in a small town. In ‘Someone Like U’, he sings about finding a “chosen family” where everyone “gets you” taking us to a euphoric happiness. In ‘Blue’, he goes one step further exploring the intricacies of relationships and intimate emotions.
“’Blue’ is a bombastic ambient telling of an age-old story in queer culture – falling in love with a straight friend. More specifically, it examines whether or not to tell a friend you have feelings for them. Despite knowing that it will never work out, you hold onto hope until it all goes up in flames.” – Ethan Russell on ‘Blue’
For more from Ethan Russell, check out his Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
