Review: "20:13 (allowed to love a man)" - Ryan Nealon
- Jazz Williams
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Ryan Nealon’s new song, 20:13 (allowed to love a man), is a singer-songwriter coming-of-age ballad about self-acceptance. In this song, Ryan explains why he supressed his sexuality and eventually came out in his late 20s. He discusses how religious trauma and societal gender norms contributes to the shame and guilt surrounding being different from everyone else. For those of you who are not familiar with Christianity, 20:13 is a reference to Leviticus 20:13 from the Old Testament. This Bible verse states: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abonimation; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” (New King James Version)
I’m in absolute lyrical heaven. The most gut-wrenching lyrics come in the second verse “Even after I had closed the closet door behind me forever, I still think if I stayed inside, the world might love me better” and second pre-chorus “Still drop my voice an octave in a group of brand new people cause all I’ve ever wanted is to be seen as an equal”. Ryan gives you everything you want from a ballad: big vocals, gospel-like crescendo, and storytelling. Honestly, I cry a little when I listen to it because it hits too close to home. I’m still trying to unpack my reliigous trauma and still fighting societal gender norms as they are thrown at me. This is beautifully sung with atmospheric production and emotionally captivating lyrics. Regardless of what your sexuality is, don’t pass up good music because you can’t 100% relate to it. If you do that, then your consumption will always be… limited!
Ryan Nealon is an up and coming singer-songwriter hailing from San Diego, California. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2013, he has performed all across the United States. He has been included in over 100 publications including Earmlik, the San Diego Union Tribune, American Songwriter, and Instinct Magazine. To add to that, he has a devoted following on social media, amassed over 30 million streams, and had his music placed on Apple Music and Spotify’s editorial playlists. While waiting on his highly anticipated third project, we have the first two singles, “Collateral Damage” and “20:13”, to fawn over in the meantime.
Written By Jazz
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