Carlos Vara, Want Me To | Track Review

Carlos Vara continues to make his case for ‘the next big’ thing in pop music with his superb, highly-expressive single, “Want Me To.”

If you haven’t added pop artist Carlos Vara to your music rotation yet, well, you totally need to get on that.  It’s non-negotiable! Vara first came into my life – rather my ears – with his stellar debut single, “Numb”, in 2018.  “Numb” was ‘everything – big, dramatic vocals, awesome production, and superb, relatable songwriting.  Eventually, he’d sign to a major label (Warner Bros.), and go on and release singles “Confident”, “Impossible”, and the pretty sick song at hand, “Want Me To.” After regretfully missing out on “Impossible” (So sorry C.V.), I got myself together and checked out “Want Me.”  Safe to say, this LGBTQ artist is on fire.

Going back to “Numb,” the thing that really sold Carlos Vara was his voice.  Once again, he shows how unique his instrument is.  Who else really sounds like him in the pop realm? Nobody.  He has a robust, expressive voice that can exhibit grit, play a tenderer role, or even dabble in falsetto, as he proves impressively on “Want Me To.”  If nothing else had gone right with “Want Me To,” Carlos’ pipes would be more than enough to make it a bop.  As much work as he puts in, “Want Me To” exhibits excellence beyond high-flying pipes. The production by STINT and Josh Bruce Williams is absolutely delightful – big, colorful, and even embraces gimmicks to an extent, positively speaking.

So, epic vocals, check.  Epic production, check. Songwriting – yes sir! “Want Me To” is equally intriguing thanks to its writing, which conveys a sense of drama.  On the first verse, Vara sings, “Early in the morning, without cause or warning / You set fire to myself” – say what?  On the second verse, he’s not quite as outlandish, but clarifies that it’s love that’s got him messed up: “Thought that I was lucky, ooh, I thought you loved me / but love hurts and feelings change / … But you threw it all the way.” The pre-chorus describes the pain perfectly: “You got me chained, won’t let me out.”  Of course, it’s the chorus that seals the deal, coupled with those soaring Vara vocals, backed by big, punchy, complementing production:

“Stop dragging me around
‘Cause it’s more than I can take
Stop pushing me down
‘Cause I would never do the same
Stop bring me around
If your heart don’t feel the same
I won’t bend, I won’t tear, I won’t break
‘Less you want me, want me, want me…
Want me to, ooh.”

Final Thoughts 

Long review, I know, but Carlos Vara and his awesomeness are worth a few extra words.  My boy shines once more on “Want Me To” because of all of the aforementioned things. My desires for Carlos – that he achieves that breakthrough that he truly deserves.

Carlos Vara • Want Me To [Single] • Warner Music • Release: 7.26.19

Photo Credit: Warner Music