Boy Epic - 50 Shades (Fifty Shades of Grey)

The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon has largely passed me by. I've not read the books, probably won't see the film (though will no doubt ogle at Jamie Dornan in a nice suit) and have ignored the fact that all the suburban housewives at work giggle about the fact that they now own furry handcuffs and bondage tape. What has gotten and always gets my interest is a spectacular pop song regardless of what has inspired it and Boy Epic (someone else who looks delightfully spiffy in a suit) has provided just that with his haunting epic 50 Shades. It's a song about that uses clever lyrics and vibrant emotional imagery to transcend the surface titillation of the source material to explore deeper meanings behind love, surrender, passion, pain and heartache with Boy Epic himself giving a brilliantly nuanced performance that teases out the hidden sentiments behind the words. He has a deliciously engaging pop styled vocal that you can easily get lost in, but never gets lost against the provocative instrumental backdrop he's created for the song. For example, when he sings "marry me" he conveys an aching desire fueled by the passion of the moment that is more impactful than any romance novel you can buy. Alternatively as he sings "tie my hands/make me beg" there's a tangible tenderness in his voice that is accentuated by the operatic backing vocal that swirls around his plaintive plea. It's these touches that surround his wonderful voice that give the song added life - the prominent drums remaining dominant throughout while fragile piano plays delicately in the background, their own little dance of pleasure and pain at one with the lyrics. It's all utterly compelling and belongs on the soundtrack as much as any of the songs heard from it to date. This feels like a massive world wide smash waiting to happen - kudos Boy Epic, you've won me with this one - I'm tied to you now as your pop journey continues.