In the fourth edition of Last Week in Music, 'The Spins' podcast co-host, Finn Askin, takes a look at the rising Korean-American singer-songwriter, James Ivy, and his newest single “Last Star.”
Is this Ivy’s best release to date?
“Last Star,” is not the 22-year-old’s best song, but it was undoubtedly my favorite to date. While it wasn't as PC-music-inspired as his April drop, “Texas,” it thoroughly expressed and emphasized the versatility that Ivy possesses. The song sounds like it should've been released in the early 2000s and I ADORE IT. Ivy’s ability to seamlessly bump from his soft, soothing vocals to deeper, hype-provoking choral chants is something you’d expect from an artist with 1 million-plus monthly listeners — not from an artist who just recently surpassed 50,000. In the beginning, a very light-hearted guitar riff is accompanied by a simple 808 in order to throw the emphasis on Ivy’s angelic vocals. As the song progresses, so does the instrumental’s emphasis. The hype-provoking choral chants I previously described are partnered with deeper, more hard-hitting bass hits and a louder, Blink-182-esque guitar pattern. The progression and versatility of this song are what made it my favorite. However, the uniqueness lacked in comparison to Ivy’s previous release, “Texas.”
Which artist has the most comparative style to Ivy?
JEAN DAWSON. Dawson was my number-two most-listened-to artist of 2020 (only behind the king, JPEGMAFIA). I’ve been aching to find anyone that has the versatility and genre-bending capability that Dawson so powerfully utilizes in his music. James Ivy encapsulates those two descriptors to a T and has proved that through his past three releases. Beginning with his cover of “Something Comforting” by Porter Robinson, Ivy effortlessly purports his emotions onto a more poppy synth, electronically-dimmed version of the track. In a performance far better than the original, Ivy gives us a taste of how well he can shape his vocals to the music surrounding him. The passion and heat that Ivy utilizes on the second time singing the chorus versus the first will show you exactly what I’m trying to describe. As his guitar gains more weight in the song, his vocals seamlessly rise beside it. This could be comparable to Jean Dawson’s performance in his track “Policia.” Each artist flexes their ability to maintain the exact amount of emotion that their instrumentals are emphasizing, simultaneously. I would also say that Ivy’s single “Texas” is the best PC-music to drop since Dawson’s release of “Starface*”.
When Ivy drops his first album or EP, what are you expecting?
I am honestly expecting a release comparable to that of Dawson’s original EP, Bad Sports. Ivy has already proved he has a near-unequivocal ability to be a genre-bending superstar, so his first full-length project, in my mind, has very high expectations. Dawson showed everyone he can run from punk all the way to indietronica in one project. I truly think Ivy has the talent to create the same sort of genre-panoramic album, but with his own, more emotionally alternative lyricism and production.
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