“Untouchable” by Luna Halo, Thursday, April 11, 2024 (partial repost)

One of the biggest challenges of writing about music that I often run into is there isn't always a lot to talk about. Just because it's a good song, doesn't mean that it is a conversation piece. New music is particularly hard to write about. It takes a lot of research, and it takes quite a few listens over some time to pick up the nuance. Furthermore, I mostly write about old music because I have memories associated with it. These memories are acquired over time, and can't be forced onto a song every Friday with the new release cycle. But when a song has layers of meaning, or in this case, layers of history, not only is it easier to write about, but also I can connect with the song on a deeper level. I won't be able to get into all of the layers that I want to in this short post, but I'll see what I can accomplish. 


I'M CAUGHT UP IN YOU. First appearing on Sparrow Records, Luna Halo debuted as a Christian Rock band. The band was formed in 1999 by brothers Nathan and Cary Barlowe who had been part of a Beastie Boys/DC Talk-inspired group Reality Check, which had disbanded in 1998. Luna Halo’s debut album Shimmer had the hit "Superman" and the song "Hang On To You," written by fellow labelmate Delirious. The band disappeared and changed members, but reassembled in Nashville to relaunch with their sophomore, self-titled record. The band announced that they were no longer a Christian band, and were in fact, a different band. The Barlowe brothers liked the name Luna Halo, keeping it for their next musical project. The band's greatest accomplishment, however, was Taylor Swift's cover of "Untouchable." Luna Halo never released a follow-up album, and "Untouchable" launched guitarist Cary Barlowe's career as a country music songwriter. 


YOU'RE UNTOUCHABLE, BURNING BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN. In 2019, Taylor Swift announced that she would be re-recording and releasing new versions of her back catalog. This was a response to her failed attempt to buy back her masters which Scooter Braun had sold for $300 million.  This would allow her music to be used without her consent and without her making money from the appearance of that song. In 2021, Taylor released the first of these projects, a re-imagination of Fearless, her 2008 multi-platinum sophomore album, which rocked both the Country and pop charts. As we saw last year, Swift now shrugs off music executives' conventions and takes control of her own musical direction. Taylor's Version of Fearless is a long album. She released all of the bonus tracks from Fearless: Platinum Edition and some cut tracks from that era that never made it to recording.  Taylor Swift's version of "Untouchable" highlights the lyrics of the song, which Swift slightly changed. While the verses are short, we get the image of a teenage girl in awe of someone she thinks is "untouchable" to her. It's quite a different meaning when a late-20s  Nathan Barlowe sings about a girl who's out of his league. However, in 2024, very little seems "untouchable" for the superstar Taylor Swift. The star has seen the world, famously dated in Hollywood and the music scene. She's become the celebrity who goes from hometown hero into her gated mansion. The star herself has become "untouchable" to many, yet you still hear of her doing incredible things for her fans.  What's the untouchable dream for Taylor? Is it justice from the music industry?




Luna Halo Original Version: 


Taylor Swift's Saturday Night Live version: 








 

 

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