the Man On The Moon is Priceless, so the Hands Of Time are ticking away for a Hard Fought Hallelujah

Hello, my favorite Monday peeps! It’s a 3-day weekend for many of us, as we remember and honor those who are no longer with us, who fought valiantly for our freedom. My late grandpa was one of those:

As was my late father-in-law:

Freedom does not come easy.

Meanwhile, since it is Monday, you know that Monday means music! This week is a freebie week, so grab your favorite tune(s) and come dance with us, won’t you?

Let’s start with a brand new song from this favorite group, their first new song since 2022. Their new studio album will be released on July 25th, so they just released this title track earlier this month. Cool! The lead singer said:

“I think after our first radio hit with ‘Out Of My League,’ there was this insane amount of pressure to keep delivering hits. Then we had an even bigger hit with ‘HandClap,’ and there was even more expectation and pressure.

But today?! No one knows what a hit is anymore, the landscape is totally different, and that was actually incredibly liberating for us during the making of this record. We said ‘screw it,’ and just did what we wanted 1000% of the time. Zero compromise and all feeling. The air finally came back into the room and writing songs felt joyful and easy again.”

This song represents a jolt of energy for the group and a return to the soul-pop sound that has defined some of their most well-loved hits.

Get ready to dance, here’s the inimitable Fitz And The Tantrums with “Man On The Moon”:

Next up is a brand new song from this favorite group with a major pop crossover moment. The track marks this group’s first-ever collaboration with a K-pop artist, accompanied by a music video shot on 35mm film that draws inspiration from Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The frontman said:

“It’s just a guitar-based song which we haven’t really done in so long. It happened first for us while we were recording the album. I think it’s just the purest and we are so happy to have LISA on it.

The guitar intro is literally me playing into an audio message on my iPhone with an unplugged guitar. I actually got a little emotional recording ‘cause it was sort of reconnecting to our roots, which a lot of our fans have been saying ‘hey we want to hear that sound again.’ It’s been like over 20 years so I think it’s time for that to return.”

Get ready for some fun, here’s Maroon 5 and LISA with “Priceless”:

Next up, yet another brand new song from this favorite country artist, a foot-stomping argument that music has the power to trick Father Time, or at least con him into looking the other way for a few minutes. The artist contends that although he is no longer the youthful rebel he once was, striking the perfect power chord and belting out a nostalgic lyric can swiftly transport him back to the times when his knees felt great and hangovers didn’t last for three days.

To highlight this, a ticking clock counts down the song, aligning seamlessly with the theme and introducing a slightly eerie atmosphere, reminding us that regardless of how much enjoyment we experience, time continues to march on. He said:

“The older I get, the more I want to listen to things that don’t make me feel that way. And that’s what [this song] is. It’s about nostalgia. It’s about… those songs that just make you feel whatever you felt at 16 and 20 and 25, 30. And that’s what music does. It evokes that emotion. It’s one of the few things in the world that does that.”

Give a listen to Eric Church with “Hands Of Time”:

Last but certainly not least is a collaboration between two unlikely artists. A wildly popular American singer, rapper, and songwriter joined forces with an award-winning Christian artist. The American singer said:

“I was just such a fan of the song — and I didn’t know [he] was a Christian artist, by the way, or I might not have been as confident in calling him.

My manager sits me down one day, and he goes, ‘Yo, there’s a Christian artist. Are you interested?’ I was like, ‘Maybe.’ And he was like, ‘It’s a guy named Brandon Lake.’ I was like, ‘Is it the Hard Fought Hallelujah song?’

I was like, ‘We have to do that song.’ I mean, I felt like it was God in every way it could be. This man has been such a mentor to my life, such a minister. Brandon Lake is the real deal.”

The song has topped multiple Billboard Christian music charts. The artist said the song helped bring him closer to God. He is a four-time Grammy nominee and an eight-time Country Music Association (CMA) Awards nominee who won New Artist of the Year for 2023. Much of his music weaves in themes of fall, redemption, and grace. He said:

“The first time I heard Hard Fought Hallelujah, I haven’t had a record touch me like that in so long. It’s been years since I worshiped the way that I worshiped to that song. Because I carry my faith with me, but I’m also struggling, and very honest and open about that.

I’ve been so bitter and hurt by the church and their dogma that I created my own now. Because I believe music meets us where we are. I needed that record when I heard it, but then to double back and be like, ‘Yo, there’s a chance you could work on this record with this guy, and I’m like, Whoa, God sends me the record for me.’ Not only does He want me to listen to it and worship, He wants me to live with it and learn.”

The Christian artist is a five-time Grammy winner and a 10-time Dove Awards winner.

Without further ado, here’s Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake with “Hard Fought Hallelujah”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor! 

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!