At the beginning of April, singer-songwriter Ben Dolic began teasing a new single that would be coming out…”soon”. Nowadays, nobody has any clue how soon “soon” really is, as it can take months for listeners to finally get to hear more than just a snippet. Fortunately, fans of the Slovenian artist – who is currently residing in Switzerland – did not have to wait too long. On the 1st of May, he released his newest track ‘alright’.
The song opens with the soft strumming of some guitars. At the ten second mark, the drums kick in, and so do Dolic’s instantly recognizable vocals. In the first verse, Dolic sings about wanting to let go of the past and focusing on the present instead. “I’m alive, I was feeling stuck” he sings about the tough time he’s fortunately been able to get through.
For the pre-chorus, the melody changes to give the feeling of a higher tempo without actively changing it, with Dolic stating he finally realized how lonely and “empty” he had been feeling. In the chorus, which is repeated a total of three times throughout the song, Dolic shares his wishes for his life from here on out. Set to a catchy beat that feels like a summer breeze, the Slovene sings about wanting to make new friends and experience “a brand new life”, rather than stay stuck in old problems. “No, I don’t wanna be alright” he sings, meaning that he wishes for more in life than just feeling ‘alright’. The title gets repeated throughout the post-chorus, really emphasizing this idea.
In the second verse, Dolic states how he’s “better now than I’ve ever been”. Known for his songs about mental health, it’s great to hear the positivity in this one – a beautiful reminder to his listeners that life will get better. The pre-chorus, which ends with a bigger note, repeats just like the chorus and post-chorus. Dolic’s stunning voice gives the song this extra flair of softness, adding to it being an instant “summer banger”, as he described the track on his social media.
The bridge incorporates the same lyrics as the pre-chorus, but is used by Dolic to show off some vocals that end in the song’s climax – the final rendition of the chorus – before delving into the final post-chorus. The song ends on a slower note, repeating some lyrics from the second verse against a quieter backdrop before fading out.
As Dolic himself has stated, this is the “first positive song released in a while”. Both from the sound and the lyrics, one can easily tell that this is sung by a person who feels good. The artist has said that while writing the track, he’s really been focusing on trying to get better and on wanting “more for myself instead of settling for simply feeling okay”. There is so much to experience on this earth, and now that the sun’s getting brighter and the days are getting longer, this track perfectly describes how summer feels and how beautiful life can be. Strive for more than just ‘alright’ – walk the road towards happiness instead!
Written by: Mandy Huibregtsen
Edited by: Nèri Cliteur
