The Los Angeles-based Latin Artist and Singer/Songwriter The Melody releases an empowering breakup tune titled, "20/40."
The bilingual creator has been delving deep into music since before she can remember. With a name like Melody Florez that rolls off the tongue, it's no wonder why The Melody came into this world singing. Listening to a wide variety of music from Fleetwood Mac to Carlos Vives helped The Melody narrow her sound while fueling her wild and vivid imagination. Celebrating her life's journey through her music, The Melody encourages her audience to listen to her messages carefully, as they're bound to find a connection.
With her recent release, "20/40," The Melody offers a sweet Latin-Pop tune through highly modern production that sets a warm and inviting atmosphere. The highlight of this track has to be The Melody's natural power and confidence, as she shines her beaming vocals over the bright tune while singing of leaving someone who can't seem to treat her right. We're excited for listeners to get to know this song, as it ends the year off with a bang.
A bright percussion pattern opens the song, "20/40," while the background drips with reflective and somewhat sensual acoustic guitar melodies. As the percussion begins to expand, giving us a taste of Latin culture, The Melody comes in and starts singing of the bittersweet love she's received and wishing to flee from someone so ignorant. We love the confidence that The Melody gives listeners through her powerful lyricism.
This mid-tempo tune is highly rhythmic, as the supporting production/instrumentals get the listener out of their seats instantly. We have our undivided attention locked into The Melody's broad vocal range while she expels her lyricism with incredible passion and emotion, making her message all the more powerful and relevant. Ending the song off on a warm note, we're head over heels for such an empowering breakup tune.
The Melody is making breakups easier and easier, especially with the help of her self-sufficient single, "20/40," reminding listeners to seek the love they genuinely deserve.
Hello THe Melody and welcome to BUzzMusic. We sincerely appreciate the power and confidence you've delivered with your single, "20/40." What inspired you to create an empowering breakup tune? Rather than a saddened one?
The inspiration for this song started when I was on vacation in Cuba with my best friends and ex-boyfriend. I was paying the woman of our Airbnb in cash. I was counting out the cash in Spanish (20, 40, 60, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100), and my boyfriend looked at me and said, “Babe, you should make a song like that.” After that, I could not stop playing with the idea and it soon evolved into a melody. I swear everything in Spanish sounds much more interesting (LOL). The melody I created instantly just sounded fun and energizing, and I wanted to maintain that same vibe with the lyrics. I wanted to write an anthem that symbolized my ideology in life, which is to never settle for less than you deserve. Technically the song is not supposed to be centered around romantic relationships but rather life itself. 20/40 is meant to be relatable to every demographic. I am expressing that it is never too late to make a change. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how deep you are in, what matters is your self-worth, your self-respect, and your personal growth. I want this to be an empowering anthem about taking the reins of your life because our existence is too short to be lived unhappily. We all need to expunge ourselves of the toxicity we let control our lives. I do think there are plenty of sad break-up tunes out there. I didn’t want to create that kind of atmosphere for this song, especially because it was not directly associated with any personal relationship of mine. I also don’t like looking back at my past relationships with a bitter or somber mindset. I truly do think I have grown tremendously from my past relationships, and in particular with the ex that gave me this idea, to begin with! :)
Speaking of the bright sonic atmosphere you've created with "20/40," what did your creative process look like when finding the right sound and feel for the song?
When I came back to California, I immediately reached out to my producer at the time, Sam Garrett. He is an all-around talent and him and I were always musically in sync; it was as if we shared the same brain sometimes. I sang him the melody and he had the song mapped out on his acoustic guitar right away. The song evolved from there and throughout the process, the beat became more and more danceable. I knew I wanted something poppy, with a reggaeton influence and Afro- Latin, tropical percussion. I rewrote the lyrics multiple times. I gathered different percussive parts by listening to Latin music extensively and going through hundreds of sounds on ProTools. Sometimes communicating all of my ideas to Sam was challenging because the song could’ve taken so many directions. We spent so much time working out the length and the dynamics of the song. At one point, I had a whole extended bridge that I was going to have my friend rap on. At the end of the day, we just decided to go back to the basics and uncomplicate things. Sometimes less is just more.
We spent years going back and forth on this song, and months at a time away from it. It was a huge accomplishment to finally finish it. I felt like it was my baby (LOL).
We've noticed that you also released a music video for "20/40." How does the music video honor the empowering lyricism within the song itself?
The music video means so much to me because this was the first professional showcase of my music. Having a visual to support my vision is so exciting. It’s very self-explanatory about what is happening. I do think the acting totally honors the lyrics and meaning of this anthem. It was very important for me to have a diverse group of people come together to strongly express the symbolism of 20/40. (FUN FACT: EVERYBODY IN THE VIDEO IS MY CLOSEST FRIENDS AND FAMILY.) The video portrays four women leaving their partners and celebrating their decision afterward. It is all a metaphor for self-love and self-worth. We hold the key to our happiness. It is up to the individual to choose the life they want and deserve. It is never too late to take a stand and to leave behind what is no longer serving you. I was very adamant about wanting to include an older audience. I feel like sometimes the elderly are forgotten and I don't agree with that. My grandmother is my role model, and she is one of the stars featured. I wanted to make sure there was no ageism in this video; this anthem is meant to be for everybody. It frustrates me to see people feeling “stuck” and without recourse. It saddens me when I see people being complacent (myself included at times) about their situation; I feel that is such a detriment to our society. This song is out there to encourage people of every age group to take action. There is no clock on your happiness. The best part about this video is that it is a universal topic everyone can find comfort in. Everybody wants to be happy and to be assertive. I think that life-changing behavior needs to be celebrated and should never go unnoticed.
We must note that within your single "20/40," you're absolutely glimmering with confidence and poise. What did you want listeners to feel after hearing the song?
Thanks so much! I want my listeners to feel strong and empowered. I want them to feel like the sky is the limit! I want them to know they are worth fighting for and they can always turn their lives around. If someone or something is not giving you 100%, know that the only thing preventing you from moving forward is yourself. There is always a way out. You need to self-reflect, analyze, and diagnose what the problem is and how you’re going to fix it. I want my audience to exude passion, self-love, and confidence!
What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020? What will we be seeing next from you as we enter a new year?
This year has been the weirdest year of our lives. I have had my ups and downs especially when it comes to my creativity and my career. I like to be transparent. I won’t lie that I struggled for a long time to want to put this song and video out to the world. It never seemed like the right time. There has been so much sadness and confusion circulating this year, and it took these last couple of months for me to re-find my motivation. Now I feel like I have regained inspiration, and I couldn’t be more excited to release 20/40. The time is now! I am ready to present myself as an artist and to delve into my Colombian and American roots. I am ready to build a connection with my audience. Despite the dysfunction, we have all been exposed to recently, I never stopped writing melodies. I never stopped wanting to share my experiences and my music with others. This year expect me to fill your ears and your eyes with color and excitement. Expect to listen to music in both Spanish and English, and allow me to show you the versatility of my character and my talents. Expect music that is raw and authentic. I want to present myself as a well-rounded artist, one who writes, dances, sings acts, and creates. I am really looking forward to 2021 and expanding my horizons. I want to push the envelope and step out of my comfort zone!
