“Closer”: perfect for late nights and summer drives
Summer is right around the corner. If you are looking for a new catchy tune to jam out to in your car with the windows down, then “Closer” by GAWVI is a song you should check out. It is the perfect song for summer, with upbeat tones and electronic background music. “Closer” is the first single on GAWVI’s first ever album, We Belong, available on March 31 on iTunes and Spotify.
GAWVI (Gabriel Alberto Azucena) has put his heart and soul into this album by including messages that he stands by. He said, “What I do is just an extension of who I am. And We Belong is my heartbeat, it’s my declaration that everyone has a unique purpose and plan.” GAWVI’s parents have brought him up in faith, so he is continuing that through his music. “Closer” is a song about faith for GAWVI, and his relationship with God. Coming from an El Salvadoran father and a Dominican mother, you can find Latin-Caribbean influences in certain songs that he produces.
“Closer” begins slow, and then picks up, leading up to the bass drop. “Closer”, the album’s first single, features two other artists, named RobbieLee and Julissa Leilani. “Closer” is an upbeat EDM song with some soft piano notes in certain parts. GAWVI, on the topic of why he wrote this song, said, “I wrote this song thinking about how a shadow is always by your side even when you don’t notice it. I wanted to make an anthem that people can sing about their desire to be closer to God the way He desires to be closer with us.” I enjoyed this song a lot when I first listened to it and found myself listening to it multiple times, especially the beat drop and upbeat tempo.
The first few notes of the song remind me of the Jaws theme song, with incredibly low cello and synthesizer sounds. However, after those first few notes, the song really picks up, with singing and lots of piano. Then, it picks up even more and incorporates some EDM, with a bass drop that will hype you up. The song’s only weakness is it’s ending. It kind of just ends without much closure. It sounds like it ends in the middle of a verse, there is no big hit at the end that the beginning of the song promises. Other than that, “Closer” is a song that I thoroughly enjoy and will be listening to over the summer. I definitely believe that this song achieved its purpose of what the audience is supposed to feel.
The awesomeness of “Closer” isn’t surprising, coming from this artist. GAWVI has 2.4 million views on his YouTube channel, 2.5 million plays on his Spotify, and 865 thousands plays on Apple Music. Needless to say, GAWVI has talent. In the past few years, GAWVI has had his first ever EP go all the way to number 2 on the Billboard electronic/dance chart, AND number 1 on the iTunes Dance chart. He has also had two singles, “Late Nights” and “In the Water” hit number 1 on the Top 40 chart. I can’t wait to see where the success of GAWVI’s upcoming album We Belong takes this talented young musician.