Meet the Artist
Raymond Revel is an up-and-coming indie-pop artist and singer-songwriter from Burbank, California, but currently based in Fort Worth, Texas. Raymond Revel prides himself on sharing positive messages with his fans through his lyrics. He has reached fans all over the world (more than 170 countries - to be exact) with his music; in 2023 having achieved more than 1.7 million streams on Spotify showing triple the amount of growth in just a couple of years.
Inspired by the greats, namely the likes of Billy Joel and Elton John, he delved into the world of music production, branching out into the world of songwriting. Raymond Revel found inspiration from 70’s singer-songwriters such as James Taylor, Carole King, and Harry Chapin. He is a connoisseur of music ranging from hit singer-songwriters John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and Ben Rector, and many more.
With influences from the artists mentioned above, he has branched out into various sub-genres, where each song he creates is more unique than the last. Raymond Revel is an artist who does not confine himself to one musical box. In fact, he has pinned his musical genre as being ‘consistently inconsistent’ as a testament to the versatility of it. He is not afraid to experiment with musical sounds and those results show in his music. Even in the case of his latest release ‘Stare Into The Sun’.
Meet the Music
'Stare Into The Sun'
‘Stare Into The Sun’ was released on Thursday, February 29th, and is Raymond Revel’s latest release all about turning the negative scripts that life brings into positive ones. Despite its short time on the streaming circuit, the song has already received over 10,000 plays just on Spotify. ‘Stare Into The Sun’ can also be found on several indie music and mood playlists on the platform already, which speaks volumes to how fans have been receiving the new music.
Immediately when the song starts, you are met with hopeful and upbeat chords - already promising that this song will be a great addition to not only your playlist but also your life as its optimistic narrative can become a part of your daily life. This is much like Raymond Revel’s other music, too. He makes music that leaves an impact on the person who is listening by telling them that things will be okay and that they can flip the narrative to be in their favor.
Whilst the melody starts upbeat, the lyrics are quite somber, describing how life can bring you down and make you pessimistic considering the circumstances. The track describes the feeling of being hopeless and like there’s nowhere to go under metaphorical gray skies. However, the song (and clouds) clear up into a sunny sky with the opportunity to start over after facing your problems straight on.
If we had to sum the song up into two words despite the heavy lyricism, we’d pick ‘fun’ and ‘whimsical’, as there is something quirky but uplifting and exciting about ‘Stare Into The Sun’. The song creates a fresh perspective on otherwise earnest subject matter that would usually be discussed with a straight face. Sonically, Raymond Revel has taken indie pop and bottled it up into the perfect dose of dopamine with this feel-good bop. By doing so, he has turned the conversation about facing the world with weight on your shoulders, into a conversation that can be had with a smile or at least a positive outlook.
Additionally, one of the many well-written lyrics that stand out as a concise version of the message ‘Stare Into The Sun’ is trying to share is, “Cause at the end of the nightmare, I look up and rebound. Give it another day and I’ll forget what it was about.” This lyric about turning the negatives into positives is a relatable reminder that things do indeed get better and that, even if they don’t, once one weathers the storm - the initial problem doesn’t seem as big or significant anymore. Raymond Revel really outdid himself on this line and honestly all of the others. The song’s lyrical quality is exceptional.
On another sonic note, there is a futuristic element to this song, thanks to some of the electro/techno nodes that underlie the song’s melody. We think this is really a huge part of what gives this song its refreshing quality and separates it from a lot of the musical clutter of songs that seem to all sound similar depending on how you listen to them nowadays. This song is different and that is its biggest charm.
Moreover, one other observation about this song is that it has high potential to be the original soundtrack for a film, as just listening to the song paints a picture in one’s mind. Listening to this song on the day-to-day will create a main character storyline in your mind where you face your problems (aka the metaphorical sun) head-on with a bold stance and go about your heroic journey. ‘Stare Into The Sun’ is the perfect tune to listen to first thing in the morning if you need to hype yourself up for the hurdles of the day. At the same time, it has a playful quality that also makes it perfect to listen to on a road trip with the windows down when you just want to relax. The song has this kind of duality.
Finally, speaking of duality, another thing that ‘Stare Into The Sun’ proves is the duality of Raymond Revel’s vocals. From the beautiful falsettos sprinkled like glitter throughout the song, to his easy-to-listen-to melodic voice, the song really reels you in until you’ve placed it on repeat without even realizing it.
For more information about Raymond Revel, visit his official website.
Check out more of his music on the following platforms: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music.
Follow Raymond Revel on his social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X) | TikTok.
What did you think of 'Stare Into The Sun'? Let us know in the comments.
