Feature | Sheen | My Way
It's easy for a song to get overproduced. With the accessibility of modern audio editing software and the absolutely overwhelming number of educational resources, people from all walks of life have gained access to making and releasing their own music quickly and with little to no formal training. As such, overproduced and technically unimpressive songs are so common they border on cliche. Songs filled with excessive effects and far too many parts (most of which don't add much to the song) are everywhere. Then there's Sheen's new release My way, a captivating and catchy anthem, meditating on its theme of self determination with expert minimalism and tact.
To be clear, while My Way by Sheen is a reasonably minimalist song, that's not due to a lack of skill or ability from the artist. The song consists mainly of a beat, a synth track, and vocals, but within that simplicity hides depth beyond what you'd ever dare to anticipate. Everything in My Way serves a purpose, and ultimately serves Sheen's vision. The drums, while not overly complicated, highlight the vocals, drawing your focus onto Sheen as he tells his story. The synth keeps the piece from being one dimensional without overwhelming the composition, and while there are multiple vocal layers, the extra parts are mainly used to highlight key lyrics and breathe extra life into Sheen's newest single.
Ultimately, these pieces all connect back to My Way's themes. Self determination is a tricky thing to encapsulate, but Sheen manages it expertly. Aside from his lyrics emphasizing the idea of forging your own path, the song's composition adds a lot of extra depth to it. The lonely, almost quiet echo of Sheen's voice, paired with the minimalist composition of the rest of the song, highlight the idea that when it comes to your life, you're the only one who should get a say. It can feel isolating to forge your own path in this world, but with My Way, Sheen reminds us that we can do incredible things, whether we're a part of an orchestra, or alone with a beat.