Setting the tone with light percussive textures and immersive vibrating melodies fused with panning vocals from Walt Miller becoming more present as they reveal themselves to sing “Let me stay here by your side, you are my ride or die…”, we are already hooked by Andrew Narvaez‘s latest release, RIDE OR DIE.
Andrew opens RIDE OR DIE with a vulnerable and intricate rap verse, “You don’t hate me, but you say we, gotta go and take a break, but now you replaced me, I’ve been tryna catch a break, now I’m always praying, that I find another way, but my heart is breaking…”, as he starts to tell a story of loneliness and abandonment.
The climactic build of the song is immense and we are moved with the hairs of our arms standing on edge as the instrumentation builds. The emotive deliveries from the guitars, Andrew and Walt come through so profoundly, the song has us feeling euphoric and optimistic at the same time, really conveying a multi-sensory human experience and connection with the universe.
RIDE OR DIE is laced with optimism as the pair sings about the fact that there’s greater hope in life and better days to come, with lyrics including the hook performed by Walt Miller, “Cause you are my ride or die, wherever else could I go, when your love is all I know”, and the powerful “Tryna make it out alive, I don’t wanna just get by, tryna live before I die” in Andrew’s second verse.
Influences for Andrew Narvaez range from rap artists such as The Kid Laroi and Ian Door to pop-punk artists like Machine Gun Kelly and reach into the softer pop genre of Jeremy Zucker. The outro, as Walt performs the words, “I wanna give you all control, I know you’ll never let me go” has us emotional and in tears. The construction of the track is super refined and we have it on repeat.
Speaking on the meaning of the track, Andrew says, “The song is meant to connect with those who relate to the feeling of loneliness and abandonment, but it also aims to remind the listener that there is a greater hope in life that comes through the faithfulness of God. Humans are so prone to let you down, but God is on your side for the long run.”
RIDE OR DIE has been added to our New Music Spotlight playlist and we have been exploring Andrew Narvaez‘s wider discography including Stay Down and The Day That I Met You.