Establishing the mood with an emotive and brooding guitar performance, expanding with an airy riser, Roi Aknin opens Will with poetic prowess and the lyrics, “The alarms raging in my head, telling me to ignore the red flags that say war is now, flags I want to live without, the fire burning in the streets, wants to consume me in my sleep and terrorize me in my dreams, weaponize my will to live…”
In essence, Will serves as a deeply personal reflection on living under the constant shadow of war, terrorism, and uncertainty. It shows how many of us in war torn states still desperately want peace and an ordinary life. The alarms and red flags evoke the very real experience of sirens, rocket attacks and fear of conflict.
The concept of “life before and pleasure” mourns normality and of course, the repeated idea of not being able to “put my paper down” feels like a desire to leave behind proof that one existed, loved, hoped, made plans, and mattered, in case violence takes that future away. We appreciate how the song centres civilians, “children and men”, “women and innocents”, and the universal desire to survive.
We could imagine the song being featured in a documentary about the human cost of war, or a movie like the Oscar-winning, One Battle After Another. There is an intimacy to Roi Aknin‘s writing that makes Will feel like an open diary.
For some context, Roi Aknin is an independent Israeli songwriter and artist whose work covers pop, rock, ballads and dance music. His songwriting focuses on real-life experiences, social issues and emotional subjects. He has also worked with emerging artists internationally, including Lesmana, LGJ, Ed Roberts, Kathi Fran, Amy Wyatt and Elephant Ears.
Aknin cites Taylor Swift, Adele, Sia and Katy Perry among his influences. Describing Will, he says it is “a powerful and vulnerable pop-rock ballad about fear during a dangerous time and the will to create something that matters in the world.” The song was written solely by Roi Aknin and produced by Argentinian producer Nela Ruiz.
We have added Will to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Roi Aknin, including Summer Day, and We’re In The Same Boat (Don’t Let Us Drown).