So my friend released his first album last month, and it's AWESOME. No, I'm not just biased, it's legitimately so good. I thought it might be interesting to do a track-by-track review taking my opinions and the artist himself's commentary and blending them into one article. So without further ado, What Happened Saturday Night: in review.

Collin's Intro: “What Happened Saturday Night” is about redemption, encapsulating 5 years of a person’s struggles, triumphs, joys, and trials into a mere hour of sonic storytelling. In its entirety, #whsn is a story about a weekend that changed the course of a stubborn boy’s wasted pleasure into fear of loss, and recognition of failure.

Track 1: What Happened Saturday Night- I love the very chill feel of this song. It's one of the softer songs on the album for a reason, which you'll see below in Collin's description. When I hear the lyrics, “Drifting across the cold of a small town," I feel like I’m there in the cold of the small town, given the tone. In the middle of the song, when it repeats no, no, no, it feels like it’s building up to the breaking point where he has to say something. The notes in the song make it feel like the cold air drifting, contributing to the mood as well. By the end, the notes change to make the song sound more uplifting.

Collin Beasley: “WHSN” talks about bullying, abuse, neglect-whatever someone is going through. I wrote this to feel so cold and vague because for the longest time, that’s exactly how I had been living. This song is about feeling so desperate for someone to speak up and help you but you end up losing every ounce of dignity you thought you had. And, at the end of the day, coming back to what you know to be true and concluding that you aren’t hopeless, you aren’t worthless, and you aren’t alone.

Track 2: I Wanna Go Home (Remix)- I like the seagulls/waves crashing given that it mentions the ocean. Bass buildup is good. I LOVE the line, “Is it even possible to look so good without selling your soul to the devil?” The dance mix of this song gives it a new twist to me (you can find the original here) :

The new remixed version feels as if he’s coming to this conclusion in a club, and he wants to leave the club and go home, but there is a more metaphorical meaning to it. Toward the end, where it says “lost in translation” at the end but repeats the word lost, it sounds lost in translation.

You can see where it gets too much to deal with, and in the last few seconds, the ocean noises return, suggesting the calming down of things and the return home.

CB: “I Want to Go Home” used to represent a literal home. I remade the track into a hectic representation of a mental state that I wasn’t used to. I was thinking in a way that was destructive to my reputation, and my confidence. Home, instead, is myself. Finally, after years of being manipulative and secretive, it’s clear that to exorcise my demons, I must “come home” instead of running away.

Track 3: Nights Like This-I feel like a lot of people can relate to the lyrics of this song “I don’t feel this going anywhere,” and “But it’s nights like that I see what’s real and it’s not us baby, us baby” Like no matter how flawless this person might be, and no matter that once the artist told the person not to let him go, things change and people are searching for the right person, so just because someone loves you, you have to do what’s best for you and what’s real. I feel like the person in the song wants him to stay terribly though it’s not right for the artist. I like the layering and the harmonies that come and go within the layering. It gets clearer during the first “through the purple haze” ironically enough. It sounds like they’re having a good night out on the town before the person the artist is speaking to shows up

CB: Simply put, “Nights Like This” is a sassy pop song that recounts an experience during a night out with friends when an unsuccessful fling showed up feeling entitled to my time.

Track 4: Chase Me Away- Reminiscing about an old flame is something we all do on occasion, and this song is doing just that. “here I am don’t chase me away, if you were here I wouldn’t know what to say, probably something stupid like won’t you stay, don’t chase me away” I love how it sounds. It’s like please don’t leave but also like, not super serious or sad, more like a “hey the time we spent together was awesome, I’d love to have that again.”

CB: Seattle is a dangerous place for someone who doesn’t know themselves. It is easy to form habits that you aren’t proud of. “Chase Me Away” starts at the beginning of the end of making these bad decisions and giving others no reason to respect me. After meeting someone who captivated my every thought I figured this was how I’d spend the rest of my time in Seattle. Looking back, I was stupid to have not seen that I was dealing with someone even more insecure and torn than I was. This track is a desperate cry for attention that I’ve come to find humorous. However, it was a stepping stone to who I am today, and for that I am grateful.

Track 5: In the Summer- THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SUMMER BOP. It's really sweet, honestly- finding "paradise" with someone is the most amazing feeling, and it pairs perfectly with summer. "Stained glass eyes" is literally the best way I have ever heard eyes described. “I’m in love with the view, as long as it’s you” and "I got all my friends right here and the sky’s so clear this summer, it’s just us won’t you raise your glass," are very summery themed lyrics. The layering and the beat sounds like a group of friends singing the song and clapping/stomping along, as people might do to an amazing song at a kickback or concert.

CB: I made good friends in Seattle. Friends that had an active group chat, and made me forget what it was like to be manipulated and used. They salvaged what was left of my trust and left a mark that still refuses to fade. “In The Summer” tells tales of adventures in a silly, childlike way. The track was made simple because that’s how the friendships felt: simple. I fell in love with the feeling of fellowship. This song is about summer nights around bonfires, and swimming in the streams of the PNW, paying homage to the underestimated impact of friendship and the importance of never letting go.

Track 6: Never Goes Away-This sounds like a heavier song. “Your heart goes cold in the nighttime," and “Too much of this poor me innocence/You’re less than a saint I know,” are great lines. He's bringing the truth to light. As far as the melody itself goes, it sounds mysterious and potentially dangerous, just like the situation seems to be. The shadow and light theme in the lyrics holds up in the melody.

CB:“Never Goes Away” is about a friend on cocaine, hiding from their problems and indulging in unhealthy habits. Sex and drugs became an addiction because their family was scarce and their image of love was a cloudy day. When I repeat the chorus an obnoxious number of times, it’s not without reason. Learning by repetition is effective and coming to terms with the inevitable is, well… inevitable. This song was written out of pure love and encouragement instead of unhelpful judgement and exposure.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing problems with substance abuse, here is a helpful website: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Track 7: Wild Child-The song sounds like a soundtrack to an adventure that a wild child would take. This line is beautiful-“holding me like one would hold a sweet dream.” Love the “I didn’t break until my vision was blurred and I spilled my heart so you couldn’t move on," line as well. Following the line, "You and me felt like three long years till we got up here to your last flight home," it makes sense that he would finally let his emotions out after the person of his affections was gone so that he didn't make it an emotional farewell at the time. All the emotions seem to have been under the surface until the breaking point.

CB: “Wild Child” is about reckless fun and jealousy. “You and me felt like three long years/until we got up here to your last flight home/I didn’t break until my vision was blurred/and I spilled my heart so you couldn’t move on.” An evening with new friends became a dramatic reassurance that I had my chance and lost it.

Track 8: Joesy-“You made me feel part of something bigger than me.” “I wanna be, wanna be there for you” and, “I’m saying this the best that I can, but I don’t feel loved. …and I’m playing this cool with my heart in your hands but you’re not giving enough," are awesome lines to describe certain relationships. This is exactly how some people feel about relationships (me) and some friendships (me). In toxic or less-than-ideal friendships, all you want is to be there for that person and have them give you the same in return, but it’s not always reciprocated.It’s soft, sort of like the message being sent. Like, I don’t want to complain but I don’t feel like you’re in it the same way I am. Sort of timid but not so soft that it seems too timid, like someone scared to tell the person that this is how they feel. Towards the end, where he sings “What more are you gonna take,” then “I wanna be…” and the beat stops, it seems to become more seriously cemented, like I’m serious about how I feel, so I’m gonna make it clear, no beats, just the melody and background. This is the same with, “and I’m saying this…enough” as in, this was serious, dude.

CB: I met a girl named Joesy. She didn’t have a cell phone and said it was the best. There’s not a lot more to say than I’ve already sung. However, fun fact: she was there when I was lost in the cemetery with my friends in “Wild Child”. Joesy taught me a lot about feelings and a lot about myself. I am thankful to this day for knowing her.

Track 9:So Close- I love how this song feels. “I can be more than just this body, I can be a dream come true. This can be more than just a party and if you try I might show you” is legitimately an invitation. “You must have slipped my mind” The singing sounds sultry. Playing it cool, then blasting, then playing it cool again. It comes in waves, which is like a thriller. The beat is very dance-y. This song really shows off his vocal range and ability to write a banger.

CB: “So Close” is a fictional story set in the 1950s about a girl whose reputation was ruined by the way she coped with insecurities and abandonment. She was a burlesque dancer who was only seen for her beauty instead of her charm and intelligence. In the pre-chorus she says, “I could be more than just this body/I could be your dream come true/ this could be more than just a party/ and if you try I might show you.” The song takes inspiration from both side of the party. The selfish men who “wish they had seen her,” and her desperate cries for the affection she’s crave for her whole life. “Spot light got her dripped in satin, we’re so close cuddled up in passion.”

Track 10: Why Do I Need You- This is my absolute favorite one of the entire album. It’s soft, but also very strong. I like how it’s examining the realities behind the problem of “opposites attract.” Things can be fun but at the end of the day you have to think about why you’re really with someone. I love the harmonies in this song so much. If you want to think of it one way, the multiple notes and layers are one for every time he’s thought, ‘why do I need you?’ I love the buildup, because it seems like a buildup in thought and memories answering his question.

CB: “Why do I Need You?” is about being at war with yourself over a relationship, whether it be romantic or casual, because you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. In the second verse I tried to capture the undeniable difference between the two people by saying, “we’re fire and ice on a motor bike in the rain at night and I’m losing track of time. I think I like it.”

Track 11: Better Than You- This song is also very chill. “Breathing the air we think we deserve turns us into dust,“ and, “One lie turned to more than a few, thinking city lights weren’t better than you”= lying to himself and not going out because he believes this person is not better than having a good time with friends. This one also shows off his vocal range very well.

CB: This next song is probably my favorite on the album. I wrote it as a sequel to “Other Than Me” on my “Ghost” EP. “Better Than You” is about all the time I wasted on someone who was so far away instead of relishing my time with friends who were right next door. “You can be the one but you won’t be right, you can speak your mind but it won’t change mine, and you can scream for fun just to prove your side, but I’ve moved on.”

(Link to Other Than Me for reference)

Track 12: New Day- Musically, it sounds like something that might play as a phone alarm at the very beginning-new day! It's more serious than that though, so it's a neat juxtaposition. "You're the greenest grass that grows, the hazel eyes I cling to, purple skies that rain across the villages and roads. The storm appeals to me, striking me with lightning," is amazing personification of nature's beauty.

CB: The final track is the first song I had finished for this album. I wrote it on my phone in the back roads of Corinth, Mississippi. “New Day” is about a couple of things: First, about someone who captivated you to the point it made you blind the beauty the rest of the world had to offer. Waves atop the sea, the greenest grass that grows, purple skies that rain across the villages and roads. Second, about natural disasters that devastate entire countries. With recent hurricanes destroying Puerto Rico, this song has become very relevant. Everyone is just sitting around waiting for a new day to come and take their pain away.

I really hope you enjoy his album as much as I do; he put a lot of work into it and it shows.

CB: Thank you for walking through this album with me. For listening to my deepest thoughts, concerns, memories, and insecurities. I’ve loved every second of creating these 12 tracks.

Spotify, Google Play, and iTunes links below!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HlcvQHrHHDWDQZbHd...

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Collin_B...

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-happened-sa...

You can also find his album and EP on YouTube.

Like his artist page on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/collinbeasleymusic/