NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

  In 1934, Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote “ I Only Have Eyes for You ” for the musical comedy Dames . The song became a standard, covered by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald among other artists. In 1959, Doo Wop group The Flamingos recorded what is now considered the definitive version of the song. The group had just had a crossover pop hit with the song “ Lovers Never Say Goodbye ,” and were hoping to follow up the song with another crossover. Billboard ’ s Rhythm & Blues Chart began in 1949 as a way to track the sales and impact of African American music. Following the re-titling of Harlem Hit Parade and the vague title of “Race Records,” Billboard settled with the title Rhythm & Blues , which now exists as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs . Meanwhile, the Billboard 100 was considered the singles’ pop chart, composed mostly of white artists with a few “crossover hits” by artists of color. ARE THE STARS OUT TONIGHT? The Flamingos formed in 1953 as a vocal group, founded on...

  If there were a Mount Rushmore of contemporary Christian recording artists, Steven Curtis Chapman would be one of the faces etched into the side of the cliff. He’s been releasing music consistently since 1987 and most recently released the album Still in 2022. Before releasing his own music, Chapman had a publishing deal with Sparrow Records , writing songs for other artists. When he made his debut First Hand , he had a number 2 hit with “ Weak Days .”  He scored a number-one hit on his next album, Real Life Conversations   with the song “His Eyes.” Chapman’s first four studio albums were released yearly and his fifth album began a two-year album cycle.  IF IN THE MORNIN’ YOU WAKE UP AND THE SUN DOES NOT APPEAR. By the time I started listening to Christian radio in 1999, Steven Curtis Chapman had many hits. However, many of his hits from the ‘80s weren’t played often. Speechless had just been released, and its lead single “ Dive ” was a major hit. Some of his no...

Dave Barnes  is a Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter, but he isn't completely bound by the genre. Barnes is a Nashville songwriter whose songs have been recorded by country, pop, and CCM singers. In fact, his 2010 hit, " God Gave Me You ," became a  number-one hit  for country singer and future  The Voice   judge,  Blake Shelton . Barnes's version has a lot less twang but all the production quality of a pop-country hit. Barnes wrote the song for his wife who had been through the "ups and downs" of his musical career. Shelton heard the song on a CCM radio station and decided to propose to his then-girlfriend, fellow country star,  Miranda Lambert .  WE ARE STITCHED TOGETHER.    The strap-line of the song is told in the title: "God Gave Me You." The speaker was broken until he met the right person. That person came from God, and together God and the man's soulmate mend the speaker's heart. Many of us listen to a song like this and th...

I took a week off from my countdown. I’ve been spending the week planning the direction of my blog for this year, and it always seems like a miracle when I get a chance to write! Today, I’m counting down songs 14 to 11 that were recorded and released in 2023. Not many of these songs were actual hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and all of them were released in 2023. For songs that just missed the top ten, I think that these songs have better lyrics than the top 20, but there is something dynamic missing from making the song a more impactful song on me. Of course, this is completely subjective, and time may prove differently. Still, as of writing this post, I’m going to say that these songs are in the right order.  14. “ Exist ” by Eric Nam . In 2019, Eric Nam began primarily writing songs in English after half a decade in K-pop. But it wasn’t until last year’s House on a Hill that the lyrics and music seemed to sync up. “Exist” is my favorite track from the album. It’s simple but bea...

Ah! The weekend: a time when many of us can breathe that collective sigh of relief, leaving our forty hours at the office, forgetting about the boss, and maybe making some time for Number 1. Before I read into  The Weeknd ’s 2015 hit, the upbeat track reminded me of catching a fresh cup of Guatemalan iced coffee before catching a bus to meet friends for a weekend in another city. One weekend, I was in a cafe in Hongdae that was playing covers of hit songs and I heard a female version of " Can't Feel My Face " playing. I can't be sure if it was  Andie Case 's  version . However, after adding Case's version of The Weeknd's #1 hit, I think it gives an interesting, mellow take on the normally, upbeat song. It's the alternate perspectives that makes YouTube cover artists and interesting addition to your music library. SHE TOLD ME 'DON'T WORRY.  ' The Weeknd is known for his melancholy, self-destructive tunes. However, Andie Case's vibey cove...

" Grace " was one of the first hits for the South Korean electronic indie band  Adoy . The song opens their 2015 debut EP  Catnip .   In a recent interview with  Front Row Live   lead vocalist Oh Ju-hwan and keyboardist Zee talked with  Rob Herrera   while they were on their first U.S. tour.  The two musicians talked about their writing process in Adoy. Although Ju-hwan is the lead singer and sings in English, he is not fluent in conversation, so Zee often handles the English questions and translates the interview questions and answers. So why then, would a band choose to write their songs in a language their lead singer wasn't fluent in? WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME?  At   Cornerstone 2011, the year before the festival folded,  Blindside  flew from Sweden to sub-headline on Saturday, July 2nd, just before  Anberlin  closed out the main stage. The show was incredible. The band had just released their first album since 2...