Song Review:: Kiss of Life: Lose Yourself- R.E.M {Pre-Release}

- October 05, 2024

Release date: 2024 October 04/October 15
Album tracklist: R.E.M., Chemistry, Too Many Alex, Igloo, Get Loud, No One But Us, Back to Me
Album runtime: TBA minutes

I really want one of their lightsticks. Have you seen them? Those things are so cool. And I generally like the music that I've heard from them.

I also do not support the use of A.I. in this album's artwork/promotions, so I'm going to listen to the song only twice and watch the music video once only for this review. It doesn't matter how much I like it. It's also not being added to my album support playlist.

I'm a little stressed over having to say something without my usual listen-on-repeat habit. But, it is what it is.

Okay. Here we go.

The opening of the song is reminiscent of an underwater organ, not creepy like a Davy Jones organ, but more ethereal, like a friendly and not-terrifying mermaid, especially ones with magnificent, betta fish-like fins. Audience participation snapping is added once the vocals get added. This stays like this for the majority of the opening minute, only adding some synth in to the organ about forty-five seconds in. This creates a dreamy quality where the instrumentals are allowed to linger, which lets the listener begin to tune them out to focus on the voices. The tempo of the synth changes at the second verse. It doesn't go away completely, but it slows down and spreads out so the organ can come back to the premier sound in the instrumentals. The synth goes away entirely for the rap section, and then returns for the final pre-chorus and chorus, which carries through the rest of the song.

Okay. Listen number two.

This would be the perfect song for a soundtrack, specifically for a moment where the leads are finally a couple and actively in love, but they haven't quite admitted it to each other yet. So you just get them staring into each other's eyes while this song is playing, maybe a slow dance. The members do a fantastic job of matching the vibes, with even the rapping being mellow and floaty. This isn't an airy floaty either. There is a weight to it that makes it a watery kind of floaty. Their voices invite you to sway with them. Ah. Maybe the song is less mermaid with betta fish fins and more siren with betta fish fins. Do sirens have fins? I do not know. But this is a hypnotic siren song if ever I've heard one. And their voices are just so incredible.

I'm so mad at the company for using A.I. right now because I would be adding this to all the playlists and sending it to all the people. And I think this is an English track, which is even more frustrating.

The music video very much matches the vibes of the song. It's adjacent to being slice of life, but I wouldn't call it proper slice of life since there's a little bit too much performance to it. It's soothing. It's inviting. It's exactly as the song sounds.

I'm struggling right now with whether or not to include the music video or not. It's your choice whether or not to watch it, and I can't do anything about that, nor am I imposing my own restrictions on anyone. But I struggled with the decision to even do the review at all. On the other hand, by not including it, aren't I then imposing those restrictions? And I know this isn't real journalism, but as I'm doing this, I'm still under an obligation for fair "reporting," as it were.

Fine. Conclusion has been come to. Feel free to watch or not. It's your prerogative.