Willie J. Healey - 'Apple'
Willie J Healey discusses newfound self-awareness in juicy new single “Apple.”
This funky, undoubtedly ‘70s-inspired song is all about embodying the weirdness and wonder that comes with budding self-awareness. The positive vibes and upbeat melodies paint a chipper picture of Healey’s inner world with obvious nods to Elvis Costello and The Beatles. An amalgam of folk, pop, and funk genres all mesh together to create this feel-good hit.
There’s a childlike playfulness and a striking originality in Healey’s creativity, championing his understanding of his own consciousness. His lightbulb moment has spurred a creative undertaking, coming in the form of this new song.
Lightweight, cheery acoustic strums lift up “Apple'' with harmonic backing vocals, emphasising the easy-going feeling in this song. The backing vocals clearly indicate ‘60s and ‘70s soul influences, blending in echoes of previous generations’ cultural-musical phenomenons. Twangy guitar riffs – akin to that of Lou Reed’s Coney Island Baby (1976) – act as afterthoughts to Healey’s lead vocals. There’s a real groovy guitar section with a nice “ooh” in the backing track at about 2:00, serving as a fuzzy, electric bridge before “Apple” is devoured to its completion. This one is a real high-spirited doozy, sure to instill anyone who listens with its joyful sentiments.
Healey’s lyricism is sprinkled with his personal branding of wit and unconventional symbolism. In the beginning, he sings, “Meanwhile, I was too busy choking on my hell,” poking fun at his past self, now enlightened. The lyrics, “I hate to break it to you, Willie/But the moment has moved” shows how he realised that life’s simply too short to not take risks and dive headfirst into all it can offer. The narrator is a bit ambiguous, but, if anything, it’s most likely Healey speaking to his former self. The following lyric, “As moments often do,” shows how quickly a situation can move along; in this case, for the better. Healey says either to himself or the listener, “I know you want it, too.” His positivity and ambition for deciding to grab life by the horns is infectious at this point, permeable through the music’s good vibrations.
The metaphor of taking a bite out of the apple could easily apply to Healey’s developing relationship with this fruitful desire to live life to the fullest, well portrayed in the overall uplifting tone of the music. One can’t help but be charmed by this musical sunshine.
Words by Sydney Kaster
