Each Measure Feature: Joshua Pearlstein
FEATURE
On the surface, pop music seems like one of the simplest genres – it just has to be catchy, accessible, and fun, right? – but great songwriters know how much complexity and nuance goes into crafting a good pop song. It’s a balancing act between emotionally resonant lyrics, engaging rhythms, memorable melodies, and high-quality musicianship. Joshua Pearlstein’s latest single, “Just the Feeling,” is a shining example, delivering the full package of pop excellence tied together with a hardy dose of dramatic tension and crisp production value.
Released on August 15th, Pearlstein and his collaborator wrote and produced “Just the Feeling”with powerful storytelling in mind, translating one of life’s greatest ironies into a pop song.
Pearlstein describes the single as “the story of a toxic, addictive romance – one that’s not with a person, but with the high itself.” Spiced up by a hint of danger and emotional violence, lyrics like “I love the feeling, you mess up my mind / I love the feeling, you get me so high” make this theme painfully clear. The singer seems to be comparing the object of his affection to an addictive substance (or maybe he’s comparing a substance to a lover?), and it’s quite the apt metaphor to evoke the conflicting feelings of a toxic relationship – the rush of pleasure combined with a nagging feeling of regret.
The foundation for this tale of death by love is a Y2K-inspired soundscape of grimy electronic instrument and quivering harmonies. The element of tension emerges in the first few notes, as the disjointed rhythms fall to a minor key and make way for Pearlstein’s plaintive tenor. It’s the perfect backdrop for a tragic love story.
Part of what makes the song so compelling for me is the feeling of conflict that runs through it, driven by a central irony that we’ve all seen played out in so many lives, in so many ways: often the things that feel the best kill us the fastest. What better way to convey that message than through the gritty, high-energy chemistry of a pop song like this?
Joshua Pearlstein is not exactly an unheard-of name in the music world. The Boston-based independent artist has already surpassed one million streams for his music as well as a growing following of enthusiastic fans. But “Just the Feeling” represents a new era of pop-driven perfection. He’s already teasing more music and social media content to come, and if you’re a looking for inventive pop music, he should definitely be on your radar!
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