Honestly, I’ll admit that Easy isn’t the type of song I’d seek out on my own if it wasn’t sung by Nick. I strive to be truthful when I blog so I won’t deny that. Out of all the music genres, country is easily the one I listen to the least. Not sure why. But you see when a song is crafted by one of my favorite artists, I’ll still check it out no matter what kind of music it is. Now, this wasn’t my first time hearing the song. I’d been lucky enough to hear it at his album listening party back in December.
But there’s a difference when you get to hear a song over your favorite pair of headphones versus hearing it in a crowd of excited fans, even if Nick’s singing along to the track right above where you’re standing. You can hear every vocal nuance, every chord, the way the song pulsates just right during the lyric ‘you keep my heartbeat beating’ where you almost wonder if your head isn’t against your loved one’s chest, listening to that steady sound. You can really appreciate the way country artist, Jimmie Allen’s voice blends with Nick’s throughout the track. Their contrasting styles bring out the best in each other and the feature isn’t too much or too little, it’s just right really. Nick showcases on this song just how versatile he actually is. You would think he’d been made for country, just like how in the past he’d have those killer rock vocals, or pop perfection with the Boys.
Lyrically this is actually a rather personal song of Nick’s. I know in the past a lot of fans wished Nick would really write about what means the most to him. Here he does. The family he’s created with Lauren means the world to him and I feel like you can hear it throughout Easy. When I checked the song credits on Amazon Music (my streaming platform of choice, I recently deleted Spotify), the only ones listed are Jimmie Allen, producer Vic “BillboardKiller” Martin, and Nick himself. And I love that. Because the lyrics are what Nick’s life has become. A man waking up to his family, smiling to himself as he watches the woman he loves help manage their life together. It’s a tribute to his wife Lauren, the mother of his children who I think we can agree are the lights of his life. This has Nick’s handprints all over it.
Its the kind of song my sister would like, ironically. I say this because she’s one of my siblings (I have five.) who never understood why I was a BSB fan, or anything like that. But it’s a song that makes me think of her, her husband and their two kids. A picturesque life that you just know has so much hard work behind it but they just make it look easy beyond belief, because of their love for each other. It’s the kind of song that transcends any preconceived notions people would have of Nick. If I played this and didn’t say anything, I think people would fall in love with it.
Just before I shocked them by telling them who the artist is.
It’s the dream really, whether you want kids, pets, or that special partner at your side. To just wake up every day and be marveled by all that they do for you and what, or who you love. And they do it all because they love you. It’s the perfect song for Valentine’s Day because it’s not just mushy or romantic. It’s perfect because it’s the kind of song that’s real. Nick’s singing truthfully about his own life and that’s why it’s so beautiful.
And I know he hasn’t always had the easiest life and fans are thinking of that when they say he should get personal within his solo music. But when you think about Nick Carter, this is the man he is here and now. The “waffle daddy” who gets up with his kids and watches cheesy YouTube videos with them, the one who strives to do his daughter’s hair, or helps his son with an ant farm? This is his life now. That’s why I can’t wait to watch him perform this song live. I hope between the genre and the feature that it blows up on country radio – though even if it doesn’t, that doesn’t make it any less good.
I define success by the quality of the song, not the quantity of its’ sales or streams.
Easy? Well…it goes above and beyond.
Vic “BillboardKiller” Martin once told me back in November that he’d wanted not to just help Nick do his best but to be the best. He wanted to push the boundaries and not give people what they’d expect from him. I have to say he’s succeeding so far. The production is fantastic and plays to both Nick’s and Jimmie’s strengths. It showcases exactly what they’re capable of vocally. Holy hell is it a lot.
This may not be the kind of song I would go find on my own, but it’s one I’ll keep on repeat for quite some time. And I don’t say that because it’s Nick’s.
I say that, because listening to it makes me smile.
Check out “Easy” by Nick Carter and Jimmie Allen here!
Forever Rebel 