Mature, nostalgic songwriting feature on Rya Park’s latest single.
The past few years have seen singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rya Park deliver introspective indie-pop bangers to an ever-growing legion of fans. Her latest single ‘The Lucky Ones’ is sure to establish her as one of the most intriguing musicians working in Melbourne.
Hitting the airwaves September 10, ‘The Lucky Ones’ fuses reality with imagination, lending the track a nostalgia-tinged storyline that traces across continents. It is part homage to New York City, part love letter to modern romance.
With Lana-Del-Rey-meets-Nancy-Sinatra vocals, the single evokes a deeply cinematic quality. Lyrics delve into themes of heartbreak and solemn reflection, while a sultry groove makes you want to move. Here, Park has ascertained a rich contrast between lyric melancholy and sonic optimism.
Triggered by the imagining of life without her partner, Park carries herself with a vivid coolness through the track, reaching full flight in the dynamic, emotive chorus. When she sings “my heart really breaks for us”, it hits you.
“I wrote this song just after a trip to New York with my boyfriend. I surprised him in Times Square and he had no idea that I was coming. When I got back to Melbourne I was reminiscing on all the good times we had and thought about how it would feel to have all that taken away from me.” Park explains.
A large part of Park’s appeal so far has been the unadulterated messiness of her experiences crystalised in biting lyrics. Her previous singles ‘SAD’, ‘Bitch’ and ‘Bad Name’ each have a brooding, hard-edged vulnerability to them. But where they punch, ‘The Lucky Ones’ slaps. Here, her flair for mythmaking is at its peak: the explicit truth of her love remains ambiguous, showcasing a significant songwriting maturation for Park.
Co-written and produced with Ed Quinn from Slum Sociable, the track is arguably Park’s most accomplished yet. The steady drum beats, Western-tinged guitar and Park’s smooth vocals across the three-minute track never loses momentum. Each shift from verse to chorus to bridge adds audible and emotional depth, leaving the listener gagging for more.
‘The Lucky Ones’ is undeniably sleek in its production, with a variety of famed musicians lending their talents. Mixing and drum duties were carried out by Toby Duncan from The Temper Trap, the track mastered by Adam Dempsey (Angie McMahon) and finessed by Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera).
It sets an exciting bar for Rya Park as she prepares to release her upcoming EP ‘Lexapro’ in 2021. If this single is anything to go by, which it most certainly is, we’re waiting with bated breath to see what this electrifying artist has got coming next.
Listen to ‘The Lucky Ones’ below, or head here.
You can follow Rya Park via Instagram.
