New Release – Opry Star by Chenél No.1
Chenél No.1 is a South African songwriter that loves telling stories through music. She loves exploring different genres ranging from folk to rock. Just like an opening a box full of surprises you are guaranteed of getting a beautiful mix of songs.
Her new single ‘Opry Star’ will be out on November 24th.
What inspired you to write this song?
“I wrote ‘Opry Star’ more than a year ago after I watched American Sniper and the documentary ‘Here I am’ about Dolly Parton. My first thoughts where to highlight the effects of PTSD in the song, but felt the topic would be too heavy.”
“Because I’m very fond of Dolly Parton’s storytelling style songs I couldn’t resist veering to country music genre. So the story began about the soldier returning home after an injury. Not only did he lose his arm, but his dreams were shattered into a million pieces. Throughout the song, the soldier searches for the reasons why his life didn’t turn out the way he had imagined it would. Without giving the ending away, he eventually found his true purpose.”
“I hope you will like this song I wrote in honor of American soldiers struggling with adjusting to life after the military. It takes courage and I admire these brave men and women.”
Is this release different from your previous releases?
“Although my style ranges from folk to rock, I really wanted to keep ‘Opry Star’ focused on the lyrical content. I created a character that listeners could relate too, with faults and flaws. My goal was for this broken soldier to become a symbol of overcoming adversity.”
“The song starts off with military feel drums which then move to a more traditional country style. Where the acoustic guitar sets the emotional pace, the electrical guitar is layered by subtle sad flourishes that suit the song well.”
“I’m really proud of this release as I felt like I really had great emotional connection and empathy with this man who just wanted to sing country at the Grand Ole Opry.”
What can you tell us about the cover art?
“I usually design my own cover artwork and ‘Opry Star’ was no exception. The colours limited to the red, white and blue as this song is very country specific. I decided on focusing the artwork on the American flag with a silhouette of a saluting soldier. The star on his chest is to point towards patriotism, duty and sacrifice.”
“My hope is that this song inspires someone with the message: Whoever you are, whatever you are going through, this is a reminder to refuse to give up.”
Is there a link to pre-save?
“A pre-save is available here.”
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