This week our friends at ONErpm have pulled out an angsty summertime anthem that makes us want to roll down the windows and scream it at the top of our lungs. “Golden Boy” by Bryce Fox is our ONErpm Hitmaker Alert of the week.
Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Fox now calls Music City his home after spending some time developing his craft in Los Angeles. His own diverse musical tastes led him to beat making and rapping while in college, where he could draw on samples from his wide array of influences, but after graduating, Fox shifted his focus to more pop centered songwriting. How has it panned out? We’ll tell you how: 100 million cumulative streams and over a million monthly listeners all before his first full-length album.
“Golden Boy” started as a political jab at the many political figures with shady backgrounds that still seem to find their way into positions of power. It made Fox start to jokingly wonder what it would be like if he were in that situation. “I want to be your golden boy, but I’ve got a past you can’t avoid” he sings in the chorus. The anthemic production offsets the acknowledgement of the need for change in a way that makes it clear Fox has no real interest in taking to politics, but rather is unmasking the cognitive dissonance that some politicians have to employ while campaigning and serving in office. Take a listen to Fox’s own explanation of the song below:
Stylistically, the song fits somewhere between The Black Keys and Fitz and the Tantrums. Fox exhibits tremendous pop sensibilities in the melody, but fuzzed out guitars and distorted vocals make this one accessible to fans of heavier rock as well. At times, Fox utilizes a spoken-word sort of timbre that makes a lot of sense when you recall his history in hip-hop production.
Tune in all weekend long at 100.1 FM or lightning100.com to hear “Golden Boy” by Bryce Fox featured as our #ONErpmHitmaker. Be sure to let us know your thoughts! Tweet at us @Lightning100 and share your take on the track.
