Music Review // Kwasi "Room Full of Broken Hearts"

 

There is a sound which exists in this song by Kwasi that combines the flow and beats of hip hop with the melodies and pure bliss of pop and R&B.  When I hear music like this, which is not often enough, I always think back to the artist blackbear, who of course has quite the catalog of songs, some of which are with MGK.   I really hope that one day we could get to a point where it feels like there are more influences here than just blackbear, but that might also be a sign that there just aren't a lot of artists doing this and so, in time, as more artists emerge so shall the sound.

One of the things I really enjoy about this song is that especially in the chorus it has a pop way about it.  There is a rule of three that if you want someone to remember something you tell them three times, but I also think it works in this case where you list three things for someone to better remember and sing along with the chorus.  These three things, of course, are "Big nights, fast cars, rooms full of broken hearts".   The third is kind of easy too, since it's the title, so I can definitely feel this hook getting stuck in my head.

The theme around the lyrics to this song also feels like it's about living in the moment.  This is apparent with the idea of it being "fast cars" but I do beieve we need more of that just being present in life and creating memories.   Though this isn't quite the same musically as the original, I could definitely see this song in a film like "Can't Hardly Wait" if it was made in present day.  I think those high schoolers would have to agree to a night of no social media though, just so they could feel more involved.  This also comes out in the lyric: "Need to feel something real even if it's bad for me"

If you're the type to be easily offended by rap music this song still feels close enough to pop that it shouldn't bother you.  It just feels like so much fun that I cannot imagine it upsetting anyone.  With lines like "Now every song's for you" this feels like the type of song that if you heard come on at the club or on the radio, everyone would just jam with it and have those past experiences where it hits home.