Review: "Runaways" - The Midnight x Bonnie McKee

Taylor Sheridan Lempke
22 hours ago
2 min read

The Midnight and Bonnie McKee's Runaways Cover Art

The Midnight and Bonnie McKee find freedom in rhythmic basslines, a sax solo, and mesmerizing synth melodies in their recent single “Runaways.” When you pass the same streets, road signs, and stores, the city loses its excitement. The rush of discovery fades. A longing for watching sunsets on the beach, staying out late, and beating your friend’s high score at the arcade creates a new adventure. It’s a treasure hunt for that youthful spark. Bonnie McKee sings, “You know it’s not too late/ California dreaming/ Looking for that feeling.” The thrill of a throwback can be found in a new scene, a night ride, and neon lights.

The synth-pop nostalgia, stunning saxophone, and thrumming bassline glide together like a sleek Ferrari Testarossa under a sunset. The Midnight uses the classic '80s new wave sounds. The bass sounds like a revving engine, speeding as fast as the lines on the highway. Flares of glittery synthesizer light up the song with that hidden happiness you know, but you need to grasp. As you're chasing thrills and the excitement in old memories, Bonnie McKee's and The Midnight's vocals, echoing with reverb, pull you into another world. Time disappears. When the saxophone solo breaks through, the song launches towards the ultimate rush. The synth-wave textures submerge "Runaways" in a fountain of youth—a time machine to the hidden spark.

Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan, known as The Midnight, create synth-wave, electro-pop, and indietronica. Using '80s and '90s elements in their songs, they explore impermanence and the fleeting nature of good days, experiencing them only through memories. But their music is the DeLorean time machine back to those feelings. On the track, Bonnie McKee, born in California and raised in Washington, shows her pop roots. She's known for co-writing Katy Perry hits like "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)." With Midnight's nostalgia and Bonnie McKee's pop voice, "Runaways" leads the path to the good days. You can find more synth-wave hits in Midnight's new album, Red, White and Bruised.