Drawing us in with an intricate and emotive piano soundscape featuring textured drums, Jonathan Lobo opens Hero with the introspective lyrics, “How would you remember me when I die? Would you think I’m brave, or would you cast away memories? And how would you remember me when I’m gone?”
We immediately connect with the existential nature of the track, and the raw authenticity and relatability of what manifests. There is no doubt that Hero holds a cinematic allure, perfect for a movie like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Up, or Manchester By The Sea.
The poetic prowess and chord changes are emotionally charged, tapping into a power-pop adjacency reminiscent of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Elton John. Fans of John Mayer, Coldplay, and Tom Odell would also enjoy the track.
The build of the track is sublime, the choral harmonies, the transcendental guitar performance and the momentary silences to add drama to the truly powerful message of the song. Speaking on the release, Jonathan confesses, “I think I kept sitting on this song because it felt a bit too honest. It asks a question I do not really have a neat answer to – how do you want to be remembered? The line about kindness felt almost too idealistic at first, but I think I meant it more than I realised.”
We learn that the creative process of Hero began after attending a book release where the author spoke about the kind of legacy we hope to leave behind. Jonathan shares how half of the song was written during a song-a-day challenge in 2022 with just a piano, before being completed in 2025 with the addition of live drums, slide guitar, mellotron, acoustic guitar, and layered backing vocals.
Needless to say, we absolutely love the final outcome and the emotional catharsis that the Dubai-born-and-raised lawyer and independent singer-songwriter has delivered. We have added Hero to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Jonathan Lobo, including Love, and Start Again.