The last time that we featured Eye of TJ, he shared a cathartic acoustic version of his powerful and anthemic song, Letting Go of You, so when we heard that he was back with What Love Should Be, we couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves in his universe once again and share our experience.
What Love Should Be opens with an emotive guitar riff and hummed ad-lib as Eye of TJ shares his signature poetic nature, laced with metaphors and a stadium-ready rock sound. The artist’s authenticity is front and centre, and you can tell that he has generated a song that resonates authentically with his own universe.
There is a timelessness to the track, something that would fit on the soundtrack of Smallville, or sell out a prestigious rock venue in the early 2000s. We love the stripped-back piano moment before an anthemic finale and the structure of the song is pristine in its design, masterful in evoking maximum emotion.
TJ says, “What Love Should Be is the final anthem and the concluding chapter of the Eye of TJ debut era. If Letting Go of You was the collapse in the mud, this is the walk through the field. It’s the realization that real love isn’t a battle to be won, but a peace to be found.”
The song pertains to the notions of leaving a love that hurt more than it healed. It talks about realizing someone didn’t fight, stay or care. Eye of TJ sees the truth and knows what real love should feel like, and this transmutes on such a visceral level within the song. He is done with the lies and pain. It’s about breaking free and hoping for a love that’s honest, safe, and real.
What Love Should Be could be a Lifehouse song, and has us truly in our feels in the same way as when we first heard Hanging By A Moment or Sick Cycle Carousel. Fans of the raw authenticity of this era will be able to connect with what Eye of TJ has created with What Love Should Be. The benefits of digital creation are really coming through and showing us that the most perfect songs can indeed be made in collaboration with the conscious universe. What Love Should Be is an example of this.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added What Love Should Be to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we watch the epic music video, continue to stream the wider discography of Eye of TJ, and anticipate future releases.