Single Review: How to Live by Brainheart
Review by Angelina Singer
In his newest song “How to Live”, creative music producer Brainheart (also known as Roei Zoar) is teaming up with the vocal stylings of Lord & Land. After a great success with Brainheart’s song “Explore the World” in 2019 that went viral on Instagram and amassed millions of plays on Spotify, he’s back and better than ever with his brand-new song “How to Live”. While most EDM and pop songs are usually centered around love and romance, I really appreciated the way this one is more of a love letter to yourself. More specifically, it’s about pushing through limitations to reach your goals when you’re not sure if that’s even possible. And that’s something that everyone can relate to. Amidst the beats and mixes that bring to mind some of the best pop music of the 80s, the production of this song is still blended with a fresh tone that brings it into the present – much like bands like Florence and the Machine or boygenius.
This song begins with some calm piano chords mixed with more intricate electrified articulations that perfectly express the stress around trying to make something of your life and “leave this town” – another common trope, often seen in pop punk music. The build-up increases into the big chorus before rolling back into the next verse – a perfectly-executed pop song from beginning to end. Thematically, the verses show the struggle of building a life, while the choruses are more celebratory, remembering that the hard work was so worth it. I especially loved the way the final chorus adds another final surprise layer — a tense but auditorily-pleasing string section that floats around the well-established melody line. As this makes the song momentarily feel surprisingly classical, it successfully shows the skill and artistic vision of Brainheart, in addition to highlighting the pleasant vocals supplied by Lord & Land.
Lyrics “I try to drown it out ‘til my feet have left the ground” show the struggle that it can be to follow your dreams. It’s stressful, and tiring, and feels a lot like lifting off to a new planet. It’s also an impressive feat to blend different genres together (in this case, folk and EDM) but Brainheart beautifully brings his vision to life. Music like this inventive and illuminating track from Brainheart will undoubtedly inspire you to launch yourself into the next stratosphere – as long as you never give up.
Listen to “How to Live” and other music produced and mixed by Brainheart on Spotify here and follow him on Instagram to see what he releases next!
