Song Review: Divine by Jonathan Paige Brown Jr.
Streaming with vitality, the music of Jonathan Paige Brown Jr. flows like a spirited river, surging forth from his remarkable talent and sparkling with his distilled personal emotions to create a captivating musical experience. This prowess, rich in technical expertise and geniune sentiment, has carried Brown across the expanse of Virginia over the years, solidifying his presence as a mainstay in the local music scene, seamlessly blending into any backdrop, whether big or small, even when he’s simply an observer in the front row of a performance.
After traversing countless miles and strumming through numerous lifetimes, his debut single has finally arrived, a poignant piece of emotional expression simply titled “Divine.” One word that seems to describe his sound so perfectly: transcendental clarity resonating through bustling strings. But true to Brown’s heart, what the song title really embodies is a spiritual journey woven into melody. It’s a journey without a clear beginning or resolution, yet one that proves endlessly inspiring and exhilarating, capturing the essence of both intimate songwriting and vivid performance in just four minutes of enchanting musical magic.
Within the song’s embrace, time slips away. The intervals between refrains stretch into what feels like an eternity, mirroring the enduring internal conflict within Brown’s soul. It’s a delicate clash between beauty and pain–a haunting realization that allows you to cherish the wonder surrounding you while still sensing an inherent incompleteness. At times, it may feel overwhelming, yet predominantly, it’s an inherent force embedded deep within the psyche, shaping the journey of life with both rough and smooth passages, enticing you to tread that extra mile daily, savoring every moment.
In the song’s most piercing moment, Brown embodies this duality perfectly. “I belong to you now,” he opens with a tranquility earned through hard-fought acceptance. But with the quick draw of a breath, the coin flips to the other side. “As I wait to let somebody down,” he concludes with a tormented prophecy awaiting fulfillment–a personal foreboding that lingers, impervious to the idyllic scene at hand. Peace enters hand-in-hand with strife in this scene, an almost wistful fatalism that draws out the intricate contours of the human condition. That innate flaw that makes us dread good news even if it’s the warm acceptance of another in this instance.
Elsewhere in the song, Brown’s impassioned expression becomes pointed. “Who gave you the right to be divine,” he asks with an endearing croon, which when taken in context with the rest of the song, creates an artistic ambiguity that leaves listeners in contemplation. Who entitled this person to complicate this restlessness, in one sense? In another, who empowered them to solve it? Did it even need solving? Does it even deserve that?
The song evokes a myriad of questions, as any genuinely profound work of art tends to do. In fact, “Divine” unfolds like an arcane masterpiece. It’s a gripping serenade to a faceless affliction too many have felt but can’t quite describe. By the song’s end, its form remains somewhat nebulous, yet adorned with more defining hues drawn from Brown’s personal expression and outstanding performance. It’s there you know that the type of clarity and revelation drawn from this music isn’t quite something that fits into conventional molds. You won’t get answers. Not to Brown’s plight or even your own. But it does offer you a newfound perspective, an alternative approach, and a fresh way to navigate challenges, making the grueling quest worth enduring in the end. It’s magnificent work overall, though you can get away with just calling it “Divine” like the rest of Brown’s future catalog promises to be.
Make sure to follow Jonathan Paige Brown Jr. on Instagram (click here) so you can keep up to date on his future performances and releases.
