Melani sets fire to her new single with the flick of a lighter in “Hands on Fire,” turning listener's heart ablaze in tow. Burning with urgency, fingertips blazing on skin, and “gin on [her] lips,” Melani herself asks listeners when debuting her newest single if they “can handle the heat.” The release of her single comes amid slow-rising temperatures and summer just around the corner, fitting for a fun and danceable number as this one is sure to be for new listeners. With a low bass and the deep beat of drums heightening throughout the song, listeners can match the beat with the quickness of one's heart, the racing of blood, as if we ourselves are experiencing the same "hands-on" sensations. The track’s musical pattern pulses with blood-pumping culminations and rocky guitar riffs that echo the essence of Olivia Rodrigo's “Bad Idea Right?” giving us a sense of urgency in the song's instrumental pacing. I can easily picture myself in an old 80s scene, racing down the sidewalk on a skateboard in the summer heat, a cassette player in my hand and headphones blaring the lively tune.
From the beginning, “Hands on Fire” throws you in headfirst, with the swift beat of drums and a low booming bass behind your ears. Melani quickly ropes listeners in with an urgent need to be “skin to skin” with a boy who is fully aware of his alluring “power” over her. “Every little thing he does sends me into overdrive,” Melani exasperates in verse one. The beat of the drums, consistent throughout the song, continues to culminate quicker and quicker with every verse, seemingly the closer and closer the singer and her love interest get. Within Melani’s lyrics, she expresses her desire for a boy that she alludes may not be good for her but simply too tempting to pass up. Melani sings in verse two about reuniting with him at a bar, asking herself whether it's the “gin on [her] lips” or if she just “want[s] a taste.” In verse one, Melani also aligns “broken hearts” with “skin to skin,” and in another verse states that she's “in pieces,” a lovestruck theme closely paralleled in her previous single, “Good Gut Feeling.” In an escalating bridge, Melani layers her voice in a chorus of lyrics she draws out as if listeners are finally being consumed by the flames.
Influenced by artists such as John Mayer, Kacey Musgraves, and Missy Higgins, Melani released her first single, “Good Gut Feeling,” in December 2023, followed by “Hands on Fire” in February 2024. “Good Gut Feeling” is a heartbreak anthem that centers around unrequited love and the embarrassment that sometimes follows. Though almost the opposite of “Hands on Fire,” both share catchy choruses and pleasing pop instrumentals. After only two weeks on Spotify, “Hands on Fire” hit 10,000 streams and almost 50,000 after one month. Now at age 27, Melani fondly reflects on her first musical memory at the age of eight years old in an interview with Apple Music. She describes singing favorites like “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson and “Your Beautiful” by James Blunt at a pub where a family friend performed a show. With feel-good hits such as “Good Gut Feeling” and “Hands on Fire,” listeners can begin to excitedly anticipate what's yet to come on the horizon. Check out Melani's music in the links below!
Written By Mia Chavez
FOLLOW MELANi:
Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Comments