Make It Top Five

Arin Ray “Moonlight”

“Moonlight” is an example of a song with one somewhat counterintuitive songwriting/production choice that elevates it from very good to great. In this case, it’s the screwed vocal refrain that drops into the mix, especially when that part is contrasted with a few bright and ascending keyboard notes. Arin Ray’s vocal through the song conveys a paradoxical cocky vulnerability similar to that of The Weeknd, but that slowed down part feels like a moment of ego death where he lets go of his anxieties and lets instinct take over. And of course, that’s the part that sounds the most druggy, suggesting what he’s got to do to quiet his mind down and switch over to full sensuality.

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