ENVY by Carley Varley

The music industry, just like any other major industry in the world, has varying levels of success. Day after day new artists emerge and others retire or stop performing, but what always caught my attention was how some artists have that magical factor of likability and audience/followers come easier and more naturally to them than others. Like other businesses, a lot of artists grow jealous of their more successful counterparts and believe that they deserve to be in their place or even higher and more popular than them. 

In her latest single titled “Envy”, UK-based pop-rock singer-songwriter Carley Varley tells the story of a jealous musician who couldn’t stomach the fact that Carley was playing a big stage and having a greater opportunity than them. It’s a very raw depiction of the emotion and the lyrics are told from a first-person perspective, making them all the more personal and heartfelt. 

The song is super catchy, thanks to its power ballad arrangement of somber verses that build up and gain pace till we reach a thunderous full-blown rock section in the bridge. I’m really in love with the guitar progression that’s playing along with some industrial beats as if to put the focus on the vocals. When we reach the end goal of our anticipation, the bridge, we are rewarded with overdriven guitars and violent drums with which Carley manages to match her voice…it’s a true testament to her agility how she can quickly switch from a lower part of her register that almost sounds like spoken word with a story-telling style to a full-blown belted high notes in her upper chest and mixed registers…this lady knows her techniques well and knows how to transmit emotions through them.

From a lyrical, musical, and vocal point of view, I found no complaints and no parts that were lacking whatsoever. Furthermore, the stellar production of the track made the vocals and instruments crystal clear and pleasing to listen to. So kudos to Carley and all the team that worked with her to record and mix this magnificent masterpiece. Go give “Envy” a listen, cause it deserves to be a trending hit song EVERYWHERE.