By Ron Powers

“Broken” by lovelytheband

What a lovely band – “lovelytheband” consists of vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald and drummer Sam Price. After meeting in a nightclub in West Hollywood in 2016, they formed lovelytheband, an Indie Rock band, and soon after had their hit single “Broken” released in April 2017.

With the catchy chorus and relatable lyrics, it came as no surprise that “Broken” not only made the Billboard Hot 100 at #48, but also on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart at #1 while setting the record for longest-running track on alternative radio. Not bad for a band formed just a year prior.

While this song targets a large percentage of alternative genre fans, it also pushes the envelope into mainstream pop with comparisons to “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People, “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

“Broken” is a song about finding somebody with issues the same as you might have. With it’s happy beat and melancholy lyrics and a chorus containing verses like “I like that you’re broken / Broken like me / Maybe that makes me a fool” followed by “I like that you’re lonely / Lonely like me / I could be lonely with you”, you can’t help but connect to the song and relish in the hope of new love found with somebody who is “damaged” the same as you.

Appropriately, on the meaning behind the song, vocalist Collins said, “We all have our demons we fight every day. It’s about finding someone whose problems complement yours. Perfectly imperfect. Everybody is a little broken inside, trying to find their band aid.” He also explained the song by saying, “This song is about finding someone who is just as f—ed up and lost as you are, but somehow you make it work together. Everyone is a little bit broken inside, nobody’s perfect. This song is an ode to the broken ones.”

While this is spot on, you don’t need Collins information on his inspiration behind the song to understand the meaning of the song. It rings through loud and clear and isn’t one of those songs you will have to google afterwards to understand. That’s part of the beauty of it, it’s understandable and hits home right away.

“Broken” has hit the mainstream hard and hardly two hours can go by without it playing on the radio or at a party over a year after it initial release. With the band vocals, a rhythm your body just moves to and a keyboard riff that is reminiscent of MGMT, Pixies and Grouplove, you can’t help but wonder if lovelytheband will join the ranks of Imagine Dragons, Twenty One Pilots and Muse.

I, for one, am impressed by a band who can come together and make a hit single within one year. One thing is for sure, this band is on the upwards track and with their lyrics speaking soothe, it will gain popularity across more than the alternative genre. I look forward to seeing what lovelytheband brings to the charts next.

You can learn more about lovelytheband and hear more of their music on their website: lovelytheband.com.

Ron Powers