Time flies. We hear it on a regular basis, nevertheless it doesn’t actually hit till sooner or later you look again and marvel the place the years went. XOLEX, the Iowa-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter, is right here to remind us that these phrases aren’t only a cliché—they’re a intestine punch. On her newest single, “Time Gained’t,” she takes that feeling of nostalgia, remorse, and realization and turns it into one thing hauntingly stunning.
Together with her signature mixture of nation storytelling, pop hooks, and slightly rock ‘n’ roll grit, XOLEX delivers a music that feels each deeply private and universally relatable. “Being a songwriter, I wished to write down one thing that was laying heavy on my coronary heart not too long ago,” she shares. “After I was youthful, everybody would all the time inform me ‘time flies.’ Now that I’m grown, that saying haunts me day-after-day.” And you’ll really feel that weight in each lyric, each observe, each breath of “Time Gained’t.”
From the very first strum, the music units a reflective tone. The association is stripped again simply sufficient to let her uncooked, addictive vocals shine. There’s a vulnerability in her supply that brings to thoughts Kelsea Ballerini’s “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat,” however with the smoky, impassioned energy of Adele’s 30. It’s not only a music—it’s a dialog with the previous, a plea to the current, and a warning to the longer term.
The lyrics hit onerous: “Want I might return to 1997 / So I might see my grandma as soon as once more.” It’s the form of line that sneaks up on you, making you wish to pause no matter you’re doing and simply be. That’s precisely what XOLEX hopes for: “I would like folks to hearken to this music and acknowledge we should always by no means take time as a right—to be the place your two ft are and soak up each second.”
XOLEX has by no means been one to draw back from actual, sincere storytelling. Whether or not she’s belting out anthems about poisonous relationships (“Ain’t Buyin’ It”), reclaiming her wild facet (“Insurgent Little one”), or embracing her country-rock swagger (“Daisy Dukes”), her music all the time comes with an unfiltered edge. “Time Gained’t” is not any exception—it’s not only a music about time slipping away, it’s a reminder that we’ve the ability to be current.
The manufacturing, helmed by Nashville veteran Bobby Terry (who’s labored with legends like Garth Brooks and Religion Hill), completely enhances the music’s message. It’s intimate but expansive, permitting XOLEX’s voice to do a lot of the heavy lifting. No overproduction, no pointless frills—only a fantastically crafted music that looks like a late-night drive by way of reminiscences you didn’t notice you missed.
XOLEX isn’t simply making music—she’s creating moments, the sort that linger lengthy after the final observe fades. And if Time Gained’t is any indication of the place she’s headed, she’s not simply one other rising nation star—she’s an artist with one thing to say. “It doesn’t matter what, my vitality speaks for itself and I hope that folks can really feel that and join with me by way of my music, to know they’re not alone.” Mission achieved, Lex.
Mindy McCall
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