Hailing from Vancouver, BC, singer-songwriter and alternative-pop recording artist Michaela Slinger yearn to dive deeper into a relationship in her new heartfelt single, "Just This Once."
The up-and-coming recording artist makes tunes that dance along the intersection of pop, alternative, and singer-songwriter. Her stop-you-dead vocals and poetic observations about relatable life themes never fail to intrigue listeners. Slinger firmly believes that excellent songs are relatable, precisely what she brings to the table with each release.
Now, Michaela Slinger continues to turn heads with her latest compelling single, "Just This Once." Produced and co-written by Ryan Stewart (Carly Rae Jepsen, Simple Plan, Tyler Shaw), the lush production paired with Slinger's airy vocals offers a serene listening experience like no other.
Slinger says the song was "born out of frustration," adding that she and her partner were "talking around issues rather than getting to the heart of it." The new single looks at the resentment that builds when these issues are left unattended for too long.
"Just This Once" brightly kicks off with dreamy and colorful keyboard melodies that flow into the gentle first verse. As Michaela Slinger begins vocalizing her emotions in this difficult situation, the sonics start to expand with a dense bass line, bright synths, and feel-good drum arrangements.
Michaela Slinger's vocals deliver the essence of modern pop; they're emotional, gripping, and will have you looking for the repeat button. It helps that her lyrics are wildly relatable, singing of yearning for someone to spill their guts and open up "Just This Once." We adore the contrast between her emotional vocals and the exciting pop sonics; it's a true treat for the ears.
Get to the root of the issue with help from Michaela Slinger's dreamy new single, "Just This Once," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Michaela Slinger. What a dreamy and relatable experience you've provided with your new single, "Just This Once." During what moments of your relationship did you feel compelled to create this piece?
Thanks for the kind words! The spark for this song happened about a year into the pandemic. For me, it put this new pressure on boundaries in my relationship that hadn’t been there before—we had to overcommunicate so much. At this point, I felt like we weren’t straight up with each other about what we needed. I always hate leaving things unspoken because that can so quickly morph into resentment. At that point in COVID, I think everyone was kind of exploding and re-evaluating their life, and I totally had that hunger for complete honesty. I thought, “If we actually don’t know how tomorrow will look, you might as well get everything out of the shadows and into the light.”
What was it like working alongside producer and songwriter Ryan Stewart for "Just This Once?” How did he help execute your ideas and visions?
Ryan is amazing. We wrote ‘Just This Once’ on the first day we ever met. You never really know what you’re walking into when you go to a songwriting session, and I find that energy quite exciting. We each shared a couple of ideas with each other, and then we decided to try to write something basically from scratch—all we had was that affected keyboard loop you hear at the start of the song. It flowed from there. Ryan’s a great collaborator because I think we share the same core value in the writing room: egos need to be left at the door, and all choices should be in the service of making the best song and telling the best story.
Why did you choose to give "Just This Once" a lighthearted, feel-good tone, even though your lyrics are rather emotional?
Great question! I should start by saying that music and lyrics usually just evolve in the writing room—I didn’t come into this planning to write intense lyrics and pair them with an upbeat “bop” sound. But what I think works so well is that the song actually sounds like the freedom and release I was craving at the time. It’s as though the lyrics are pleading for it, and the song represents what I want.
What was the most rewarding part about creating "Just This Once"? What did you take away from the entire process?
Honestly, it was just fun and easy, and it felt special right from the first demo. I think the most rewarding thing has just been feeling so proud of it for over a year and knowing that it represents the beginning of a new era of sound for me working with Ryan.
What's next for you?
This is the first single off of my sophomore EP, which will be coming out in spring 2023! I’m so excited about this project. I’m also playing several festivals across BC (my home province) this summer and gearing up to plan some more extensive touring in the fall and spring.
