As Royals release their second EP, A Spark To Ignite, they have gifted fans with the “final piece of the puzzle.” Up until this point, the pop punk band have given us four tracks that have served as a soundtrack to this past year. Tapping into frustrations and insecurities that everyone deals with, even outside of what happened in 2020, Royals made us feel not so alone. Their last single, “Gone,” is just as personal, and projects the type of sound that the band is looking to take on in the future.
On “Gone,” we hear about a friendship that has run its course. Lead vocalist Luke Smithson puts his fed-up feelings into words, asking, “How many times will you do me wrong?” and “Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that you really tried?” In the end, the unspoken words and broken promises added up, provoking Luke to cut things off for good.
Luke has also mentioned that the song takes on a different vibe from prior releases, “being a little experimental with new sounds such as more synths and auto-tuned vocals to give off that hip hop/nu-punk sound.” When fans listen to the track, it seems clear that these additions were exactly what Royals needed to kick things up a notch. The hip-hop production in the verses pairs well with the vibrant pop punk sound that comes through in the choruses, making “Gone” a true standout for the band.
The video for the track is a bit brighter than what fans have been seeing from the guys lately. Reminiscent of the “Up All Night” video from their early days, we see Royals in a room surrounded by eye-catching pastel pinks and blues. Between shots of the band energetically performing the song, we see artsy clips of flowers blooming and dying – tying together the lyrics and the storyline of the video. You can check it out below.
Both “Gone” and A Spark To Ignite are out today, and can be heard on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
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