I can read body language and sense tone well. The next logical step is mastering how to read minds. Until that’s a possibility, I need to rely on communication like everyone else. But some people expect me to read their minds – this passive immobility can be extremely infuriating. And thankfully, Amanda Ayala’s “Just Tell Me” perfectly captures both the frustration and exhaustion of this expectation.
“Just Tell Me” is a dream-pop single that doubles as a dedication to the maddening partners that made us constantly guess what they wanted instead of communicating their needs. The song opens with a whimsical atmosphere, putting listeners into a dreamlike state. The opening verse reveals that this relationship is shrouded in confusion due to the lack of communication. But Ayala has grown tired of the “mixed signals”. The chorus reflects this by no longer beating around the bush. She directly says; “So tell me what you want babe”. The single’s progression, primarily its change in tempo within the middle of the chorus, skillfully showcases the buildup of this frustration. We can be sympathetic to partners needing some time to feel comfortable enough to communicate. But when we habitually find ourselves trying to figure out their needs, it raises the big question of how much time is an appropriate amount of time. Especially if we’re putting forth the effort like Ayala vocalizes in the second verse to only be toyed with by the partner utilizing passive immobility, the initial frustration begins to grow into feeling depreciated. This depreciation stings all the more when the partner is unaware of their own actions as Ayala points out in the third verse – actions that are actively sabotaging the connection. Ultimately, “Just Tell Me” is the perfect advocate for open communication.
New York based singer and songwriter Amanda Ayala is a familiar face for fans of NBC’s “The Voice”. The Team Adam alum got her first big break in music while on the show after giving her powerhouse rendition of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”. Her version of that song and Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” were featured on the Top 100 iTunes Rock Chart, which is a huge accomplishment for a rising artist. Most recently, Ayala was on the second season of Amazon Prime’s musical competition “Who Will Rock You?”, where she placed as a quarterfinalist. If you’ve enjoyed Ayala’s candid attitude as much as I have, show the artist some virtual love in the form of streams, likes, and follows.
Written by Giavanna Gradaille
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