Image by Galveston.com via FlickrFinally! High on the list, after one of the oddest release strategies for any debut album I'm aware of, we find a musical gem patiently waiting beneath the title track. I began listening to my brand spankin' new CD, hoping for the best but not expecting much after the initial few releases, and was more than pleased when "I Won't Apologize" began to play. The intro with simple guitar licks that resonate with a style throughout the entire song, leads off with a subtle, but quick leap into the first verse. Complimenting the guitar intro is a synthesized instrument that beautifully provides volume to an otherwise extremely relaxed instrumentation. Whether or not the first few releases were given the same treatment, it seems that on this song someone paid close attention to the way the music was harmonizing with the voice.
It's Selena's vocal style that drives this song. That is, her voice isn't simply falling in time with the rhythm, as a player waiting to hit her mark; rather, it's pushing the rhythm to keep up with her. The music could stop completely and she wouldn't lose pace. And there is a peculiar passion I sense from her in this particular song, like one who is absent-mindedly singing to herself. It's almost like we get a glimpse into a mind that's racing as she thinks back to an event that certainly had an impact on who she has become.
In fact, although the lyrics describe the song as being mostly about not apologizing for who you are, the way it's sung, from the preoccupied emotion to the softness of her high notes, makes me think it's more about a moment in life when you realize you are moving forward yet cannot help feeling some sadness for what you thought you wanted as you leave it behind. So it seems mostly to be about a state of melancholy. And perhaps that's what she intended.
In all, I'm pleased with the musical arrangement and the lyrics, but mostly in the vocal styling by Selena. No, she's not belting like Christina (for all those who think singers should sound alike), but of course she's not Christina; she's Selena. And while Selena might not have the vocal range of some of the top singers, still she sings with emotion. And that makes her very pleasing to listen to.
But with that said, do I think this song could have done well on the charts?
Topping the charts is often more about perception; that is, it's about who sings a song, how a song affects you at a particular time, how much it permeates the airways. Of course, that isn't a formula for all top-performing songs, but the point is you can't know how well a song will do no matter how well written. But you most certainly cannot judge it, penalize it or even reward it simply due to its ranking on the Top 100.
As a final note, I would like to say that I hope she teams with a more accomplished writer for at least one song on her next album, someone who can take advantage of her emotional style, and not just group-write a bunch of songs in the mindset of dropping in a voice and calling it a day (which is the sense I get from some of the other tracks on the CD). But I guess that really depends on how serious she's taking this musical venture.
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