As much as I love making videos, I have to admit writing feels like coming home in a way. When I was getting ready to write about Nick’s new song Heaven can Wait, I realized I never got to writing about Nick’s song Magic the way I wanted to. And rather than do two separate posts I thought it would be more interesting to write about both of his new songs and compare them a bit.
When you look at Magic and then look at Heaven can Wait, you couldn’t find two songs less similar. I think that’s what makes Nick Carter so interesting as an artist. He’s got this innate versatility I struggle to find in other singers I’m a fan of. These two songs were released just shy of two months apart. That’s a bit wild when you look at it since most artists will create music in a similar vibe when they’re released that close together.
That’s never been Nick’s vibe however.
He’s always been eclectic and I’ll objectively admit that while it should be a good thing, it might have been a determent to his solo career. For some reason music lovers love consistency from a musician. Personally, I think it stands to show that if you can hop from genre to genre, that the person is a stronger talent. However, while Taylor Swift can get away with this, most can’t. It drives me crazy cause I’m always the type of fan who loves watching her favorites try new things.
I’m going off on a tangent, I think. Sorry!
With Magic, the strength isn’t in the lyrics. I’ve seen some fans bring this up and I’ll acknowledge this. Not all songs need strong lyrics (I Want It That Way, anyone?) Not ever song needs some deep meaning. The reason why this song is strong is it doesn’t shy away from what it is.
It’s sexy, it’s seductive, it’s fun. It’s a bit of lightheartedness after what was a very emotional and raw album from Nick. There are some really well layered vocals and harmonies though if you take the time to listen for them. It’s subtle, but it’s there. Mainly because Nick Carter doesn’t do anything half way when it comes to music and I’ll die on this hill. I really love this song. It’s just so much fun and I enjoy being able to have fun with him on this. Sometimes, you need the light as much as you need the dark.
I thought this might mean a shift in direction. While many fans feel like this is an outlier in his solo catalogue, it’s not really. He’s done similar songs for Nick and Knight or even I’m Taking Off. But because it’s been a while, it stands to reason fans aren’t used to it anymore.
However, this turned out to not be the case for him. Straight off coming back from the German Residency with the Backstreet Boys, Nick decided to surprise drop Heaven can Wait on my birthday. This definitely lines up more with what we saw on his Love Life Tragedy album and almost sounds like it could easily be a bonus track or a leftover from those sessions. It’s not, but you could almost believe it was. It’s also the power ballad I’ve been pleading for.
It’s that 80s themed rock you just know he adores doing, and you can really hear the passion in Nick’s vocals as he’s singing this. That’s always been my favorite thing about Nick, that emotional aspect to all his music. His voice really soars on Heaven can Wait. There is a moment, around the 3-minute mark, maybe 10 seconds after where I’m really waiting for him to really belt it out and let his voice go off into another galaxy, sort of like how he does on Falling Down.
It doesn’t on this one, and that’s probably my only criticism on the song itself because I feel like it was a missed opportunity. I might be a bit nitpicky here. But Nick’s always said he wants honest feedback and as a fan I love him enough to give it.
When you listen to these songs back-to-back on a mini playlist like I am right now, it’s like Ying and Yang. They’re so different, so opposite, yet they’re both at their core the Nick we know and love. This is a guy who has a voice that can handle every genre he wants to do, while still having that core essence of being a Nick Carter solo song. I don’t know if this is going to give us a taste of what his next solo album will be like. Maybe it is. Or knowing him, maybe it’s not. It’s hard to predict when it comes to him.
Personally, I think it’s what keeps him so interesting.
Be sure you stream both “Magic” and “Heaven can Wait” which can be found on streaming platforms!
