My Wrabel Top 10 Countdown
2018, otherwise known as #20GayTeen, was the year that changed everything for me as both a music fan and as a gay man. 2019 though is the year where those changes stuck and Queer Pop took over completely. In 2019 I attended a total of 13 concerts!!! That's a record for me. In the past I usually averaged 2 or 3 concerts a year at most. Yet, thanks to Queer Pop, I got motivated to leave the house and attend as many concerts as possible. Plus besides The Rolling Stones, who had been on my bucket list for years, every concert fell under the Queer Pop label.
The shows I saw earlier that year were covered when I first launched my blog. That's where I wrote in depth about seeing MNEK, Myylo, Kim Petras, Cub Sport and Zach Benson. Yet, the year peaked towards the end where I saw 5 acts within a month, 3 of which I saw in a single week! I pronounced it Big Gay Fall energy and it was definitely needed!
My concussion has unfortunately relapsed thanks to me sleeping on the wrong side of my head and I was struggling to get it under control again! That said, I already has tickets to 5 shows coming up for late October thru late November and there was no way I was gonna miss them. So I took my mom's advice and decided to do everything I could to make sure I could see these shows live. That meant those shows came first so, I stopped watching TV and reading for a while and I even stopped writing for the blog in order to let my head heal more. Luckily I had over 40 articles in the bucket so I still had content to keep posting every week such as my 11 part look back at the life and times of Britney Spears.
The first act I was to see was Wrabel. Wrabel came to my attention through the Out Now playlist in the spring of 2019. The song was Love To Love U and I loved it immediately! The song was so hooky and I loved the poppy guitar riff driving the whole song. I soon looked more into Wrabel and discovered he had been around for a few years, releasing a steady stream of singles and EPs since 2014. I liked what I was hearing and he definitely had a strong singer/songwriter vibe like Myylo but whereas Myylo songs are usually very quirky, Wrabel's songs tended to be more emotionally charged.
2019 turned out to be a very good year for Wrabel. He opened for Ben Platt on his North American tour and Wrabel opened for Pink on her European stadium tour. Still I was waiting to see if he'd do his own headlining tour and eventually a club tour was announced for Wrabel that included a stop at Washington DC at Union Stage where I had seen MNEK earlier that year.
I ended up getting 2 tickets, but unfortunately the people who usually accompany me to concerts (my husband Cory and my good friend Will) were both working and couldn't come. So this would be the second show I would attend alone after seeing Myylo alone back in March of that year. That said, there was someone I knew who was also attending the concert. That person was Bryce, another gay musician who also lived in Washington DC. I discovered Bryce over the summer and did a short write-up for his single Keep Em Coming on The Q Review. We soon started chatting on social media and connected over our love of pop music. So now on top of seeing Wrabel live for the first time I was also gonna finally meet Bryce as well.
What's funny though is that Bryce and I had been to a lot of the same shows over the past year but we didn't know it. Bryce saw Troye Sivan with Kim Petras at the Anthem and Years & Years at the Lincoln Theater. Bryce was also at the second Myylo show I attended in June of 2019 and I remembered seeing him there once I put 2 + 2 together. Bryce was the person who was talking with Myylo when I wasn't talking to Myylo. Still the Wrabel show would be our first formal meeting so I was looking forward to that along with seeing Wrabel perform. Something else I was looking forward to was the pizza at Union Stage. My friend Will and I had 2 pizzas when we saw MNEK and it was delicious. So I of course had to order some before I went down to the basement for the show.
Once down there I took a seat at one of the tables. Eventually Bryce and his boyfriend showed up. We hugged, we chatted and enjoyed the show. Wrabel, like Myylo, was a good storyteller and very funny! He made the audience laugh on a number of occasions and Warbel was just genuinely entertaining and likable. Like Myylo I was just as entertained by the talk set banter in between songs and didn't mind when Wrabel went on a tangent from time to time.
Wrabel also talked about going to a Coldplay concert and how much he loved them. That's when I realized how much Coldplay had been a big influence on Wrabel. Also like Chris Martin Wrabel not only plays the keys (piano and/or Keyboard), he also sounds even better live than on record. Wrabel is a phenomenal singer who's voice can truly move you emotionally.
Now to back up a little I drove down to the venue after work, but unfortunately the main parking garage was already full and I couldn't find street parking. Eventually I found a small parking lot but the catch was they take you keys and close around 11pm, which meant if I didn't get back by 11 I would not be able to get my car back. So what that meant was I had to leave the concert before Wrabel finished up his set which was disappointing because I didn't get to see him perform my favorite song by him Love to Love U.
Nonetheless it was a good show and Wrabel endeared himself to me a lot during the show and I would definitely see him live again. Hopefully next time I don't have to leave before the concert ends. I originally wanted to write a review of the show and countdown my favorite songs by Wrabel shortly after seeing him live but my concussion put that on hold. In all honesty though I'm kind of happy I waited because in the months following the show, Wrabel has released more music and much of it now ranks among my favorite songs by him.
So with that said here's my countdown of my 10 favorite songs by Wrabel and as always this is just my opinion, not a definitive ranking.
10. Sideways
Some artists take a few songs to find their footing but not Wrabel. The title track to Wrabel's first EP in 2014, shows Wrabel came out of the gate running. With Sideways we already hear what Wrabel's brand will be, which is catchy EDM inspired pop but with heart on the sleeve lyrics about a relationship in trouble. Wrabel is able to infuse EDM pop with real feelings and emotions which can be tough to pull off in this genre. Here Wrabel sings about a relationship that has stagnated:
"Built this house on fault lines
Outta the things that we never say,
We see the doors wide open,
But we stay another day,
Lets stop movin' sideways,
I know it's hard, but let's start again.
Standin' up for something could be worth it in the end.
Maybe we're goin' under,
Maybe we're both about to break
We're not goin' up,
We're not goin' down,
We're sideways, we're sideways
Maybe a smile could save us,
Or maybe we're just a few tears away."
Wrabel knows this relationship is in trouble but he's not sure if they are about to break up or reaffirm their love for one another. He's hoping for the latter but bracing for the worst. Wrabel excels at singing about relationship drama and Sideways was the first taste of what was to come.
9. 11 Blocks
Wrabel's 2016 single 11 Blocks represented a huge breakthrough for him. It's still his most streamed song at over 57 million streams on Spotify and counting. Here we see Wrabel switch from EDM pop to more singer/songwriter territory with the piano front and center. It's the kind of song that could easily be played on the radio in between Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes, but even better than those two.
11 Blocks is about how Wrabel is struggling with a breakup from a lover who only lives 11 Blocks away from him. As a result Wrabel cannot stop thinking about his EX and it's killing him on the inside:
"11 blocks from my door to your doorstep
Three years later and it feels too close
I thought I broke the last of that breakdown
The morning I sold your winter coat
It doesn't feel right when I'm grabbing a coffee
The same old spot, but I'm on my own
I feel okay in the day, but at nighttime
You know how I get when I'm alone
'Cause my mind won't stop, it's just 11 blocks
I know that you're home
'Cause it's Friday night, you're not that type
I know that you're home."
From the streaming numbers alone it's clear that this song connected with millions of people and shows that Wrabel is a songwriter who can really tug at the heart strings in the best possible way.
8. Mean It
Early on Wrabel excelled at dramatic pop songs that dealt with matters of the heart and relationship drama. Starting in 2019 though Wrabel began singing about happy things which he said was kind of foreign to him as a songwriter but it seems he adjusted quickly because he's been releasing some pretty great feel good bops this past year along with doing more collaborations. His collaboration with Cash Cash from earlier this year shows how well Wrabel works with others and how he can be just as effective at upbeat bops as he is at sad ballads.
7. Moonrider
Speaking of collaborating Wrabel released another song earlier this year that saw him working with someone else, this time superstar DJ Jai Wolf. I have mentioned before that in the era of streaming, doing collaborations not only makes sense, but feels necessary. The reason being that when acts collaborate they start cross pollinating their fan bases and introducing their fans to other acts they might really like, which in turn helps bump up your streaming numbers. Moonrider is definitely more of Jai Wolf song, but Wrabel does nicely here by helping ground this futuristic 80s style bop with his strong vocal presence. Unlike most of Wrabel's other songs nothing deep is going on here lyrically, it's all surface but when the production is this catchy that's OK.
6. Magic
When I introduce Wrabel to other friends, this is the song a lot of them end up loving the most. The piano on this song is memorably hooky and gets stuck in your brain quickly. In some ways the piano and production here remind me a bit of the singer/songwriter adult pop of the 70s like Carole King, Hall & Oates and The Captain and Tenille. Magic also sees the newer and happier Wrabel in full flight as he sings about falling head over heels in love with another man:
"Better love me with the lights on
'Cause I wanna see what you're doin'
If I didn't see what you're doin'
I don't think I'd believe it no
Swear I knew you in another life
Love me so good, I had to love you twice
Love me so good, I had to love you twice
Only way to explain it, yeah
I think I'm falling in love with you
I think I'm falling
Like a shooting star in the sky
Swear to god, you open my eyes
You make me believe in love
Oh, you make me believe in magic.
"If I want to introduce Wrabel's music to friends or family this is one of the first songs I play for them.
5. We Could be Beautiful
Off the same 2017 EP that gave us 11 Blocks, We Could Be Beautiful sees Wrabel in EDM pop territory again. The juxtaposition between the lowkey but throbbing verses and the chorus where the production goes full on pop is hard to to resist, especially when the beat drops, like it does at the 1:11 minute mark. Lyrically the song is about Wrabel telling a potential lover they could make a beautiful couple if the potential lover would just give Wrabel a chance:
"It's coming around again
Feeling all in your head
You never let me in
We could be beautiful
You've got the bluest eyes
The color of you and I
I know it's hard sometimes
We could be beautiful
Oh it's true
You're the colour if you only knew
Every star in the sky that's you
If you saw you the way that I do
We could be beautiful."
I'll admit this isn't the first song I think of for Wrabel but every time it comes on I always get sucked into it and you will probably feel the same after you hear it!
4. The Village
The Village might be the most emotionally charged song Wrabel has released this far and that's saying something! This song is about a transgender person who is not accepted by their own friends and family because they are trying to live their truth:
"No, your mom don't get it
And your dad don't get it
Uncle John don't get it
And you can't tell grandma
'Cause her heart can't take it
And she might not make it
They say, "Don't dare, don't you even go there
Cutting off your long hair"
You do as you're told
Tell you, "Wake up, go put on your makeup
This is just a phase you're gonna outgrow"
There's something wrong in the village
In the village, oh
They stare in the village
In the village, oh
There's nothing wrong with you
It's true, it's true
There's something wrong with the village."
The music video for village also depicted the story of the song and ends with text across the screen reading: "#trans_rights_are_human_rights". The video was also released in the wake of Trump tweeting trans people should be banned from the military. Pink also gave praise to The Village when she appeared on Ellen's show saying:"The song ‘The Village' will break your heart into many little tiny pieces... he's great."
The Village is an anthem for anyone who is LGBTQ and not finding acceptance from their own friends and family. When I saw Wrabel live I saw more than a few people wearing his T-Shirt with a row of houses that says the Village with one of the houses being the color of a rainbow.
3. I Want You
A want you is a deceptive bop because on the surface it sounds like a fun pop song with a great beat that you can bop along too. That production though masks the pain Wrabel sings in this song. Wrabel has been open about his struggle with alcohol in the past and while he has been sober for years now it's clear he still has some scars. The song starts with Wrabel wanting to drunk call his ex because he feels so alone:
"I'm all fucked up
And honestly, it's been killing me
Honestly, it's been killing me tonight
I don't wanna call, no
I'm calling you 'cause I'm drunk tonight
Pick up the phone, or I'll call a million time."
Later on Wrabel notes that the drinking and drugs are becoming a crutch in order to numb the pain he can't get rid of:
"I guess I'll get high
High enough for the both of us
High enough to forget I'm still in love
This cheap champagne, oh yeah
I hate the taste, but I take a sip
Celebratin' the way you fuck me up, yeah
Why do I try, when I know you're out there
Sleeping with someone else?
When will I learn that love is just not fair
And I can't control myself? Oh no
Well, I want you
Ooh, I want your love, your love, your love."
I'll admit I missed the message of the song the first several times I heard it because I was caught up in the production and melody instead but that's a compliment. It shows that the song can appeal to you on different levels depending on your mood and how so much Queer pop successfully marries emotional depth and honesty to pop music in a way I find extremely appealing.
2. Hurts Like Hell
Wrabel's latest single is a return to his older style of emotionally charged ballads and it's his best yet! Musically this song brings Coldplay to mind, especially those piano keys around the half way point at 2:13 minutes, which is one of my favorite parts of the song. Lyrically it's about Wrabel still struggling to move on from his first love:
"It's been two yearsEight months and a day
Walking 'round in New York in the rain
And right now I'm a walking cliché
It's been two years
Eight months, nothing's changed."Later Wrabel thinks about how easy it's been for his ex to move on from him:
"Where'd you meet?
Where's he from? What's his name?
Does he touch, does he love you the same?
And I know I'm a walking cliché
It's been two years
Eight months and nothing's changed
I'm out here trying to love somebody
I tell myself I'm doing well
But every time I think about you
It still hurts like hell."
Wrabel did a stunning performance of Hurts Like Hell on The Today Show that's well worth a watch so you can experience how good Wrabel sounds live. This song is already in the running as one of my favorite songs of 2020.
1. Love To Love U
Love To Love U is a song about not only embracing love but embracing happiness as well. It starts with Wrabel singing about how he's learning to accept that love can lead to happiness:
"Was it hard to trust a feeling?The closer it, closer it gets to the real thing, yeah
Was it dark before we're sleeping?
Further and further away from the center of the bed, babeEvery time I look into your eyes, I feel like flying
Every time that we don't kiss goodnight, I feel like dyingI would love you
That's what I'd do, yeah."
Later on Wrabel sings about how his new lover has helped him change for the better and learn to love himself more along with loving his new man:
"I swear your love is like a mirror
You're calling me out on my bullshit for the first time, yeah
And I've been trying to see from your perspective, yeah
And now I'm seeing myself in a new light
Then I see you in a new light
Wanna see you in the moonlight."
Musically the song is propelled by a very catchy guitar riff that will run laps through your head for days. It's the kind of hook that grabs you immediately on a first listen and it just burrows deeper and deeper the more you hear it.
Wrabel talked about how he was nervous to sing happy songs before because he wasn't sure he could pull it off. He needn't have worried because Love To Love U is a certified bop that hits all the right notes. Love to Love U made me a Wrabel fan instantly and it's still one of the best songs of 2019, a year that was chalk full of top notch Queer Bops. So listen to Love to Love U along with the rest of the songs on this list and fall in love with the music of Wrabel like I did.
