This summer is coming to an end and honestly I don’t think many people are aware of it really starting or coming to an end. Everything has been a blur.
Lopez perfectly captures this feeling of “where did the last six or seven months even go?” in his single “End Of The Lost Summer”. I love the slower reflective vocals in the verses in contrast to the very traditional summery happy pop hook in the chorus. This track is a statement. In the age of social distancing, the whole concept of social and fun is being restructured. “There is no safety in numbers” - that’s a change, now isn’t it? But that’s where we are. Right now we need to be around people the most for comfort, but that’s the very thing we can’t do. So much has happened in this summer but it almost feels impossible to keep track of everything through our screens.
From Gabe Lopez: “I was feeling down because the summer just slipped away. Summer is my favorite season but this year because of COVID there was no traveling, no vacations, no family barbecues, no going out with friends on weekends. I felt an emptiness and sadness, and it reminded me of that same feeling I had as the August after graduating high school when so many friends were going off to college or were scared figuring out next steps in life. I remember missing the people I used to see every day. That time was long ago but the unease and melancholy were very familiar and immediate. There were a lot of parallels with that time and this summer. I just felt like this was a lost summer - both in that the time was lost and people were also feeling lost.
Just about everyone I know has had an ex reach out to them during this time. Lots of people self-reflected and apologized for how relationships ended or they tried to rekindle things or reestablish the friendship. I had exes message or call me a lot this year.
I usually try to stay away from trends, but this song is a record and it’s a record of this time. So many people are using triplets with their melodies right now. Since I am writing about where we are I thought that this should be reflected in the melody, as well. That’s why there are triplets in the pre-chorus and the bridge. I definitely didn’t write that way to try and be cool. I’m not cool. I never feel cool. I’m just me writing as honest as I can with where I’m at. And if anything in this song comes across as uncool then I suppose that would be a true reflection of how I feel.
The bridge is a very quick melange of observations - depression, Zoloft, routine, Trump, homeschooling, American egocentricity, with some protest and police audio.”
GABE LOPEZ has recently crossed the US and UK opening for Belinda Carlisle on her tours at venues such as the Indigo at the O2, Manchester Academy, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, The Fonda in LA and B.B. King's NYC. His new album GOD BLESS THE QUEENS was released on November 9, 2018 on Spectra Records and distributed through Sony.
The Cali boy's songs are currently spinning on Sirius XM Radio, iHeart Radio, and FM radio - most recently his new singles "LASSO" and "CALIFORNIA BLUES," which features the pop icon BELINDA CARLISLE. His album debuted in the TOP 100 NEW RELEASES on iTunes.
With his sassy and gritty pop flavored music, Gabe was voted by Music Connection Magazine as one of L.A.'s Hot 100 Artists. He is signed to RONDOR/UNIVERSAL as a songwriter, and he has produced and written for BELINDA CARLISLE, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, THE GO-GO's, JOEY McINTYRE, JAMES BROWN, KRAYZIE BONE, LELAND, RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE, TWICE, CHARICE, TYLER HILTON, MS. TRINITI, SHINEE, TAE YANG, SUPERJUNIOR, THE OTHER TWO on COMEDY CENTRAL, STREETLIGHT HARMONIES SOUNDTRACK, GAYME SHOW, IN2IT, VERIVERY and more. See www.gabelopez.com for more info.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabelopez/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabelopezsongs
Review by Hannah Schneider