Miguel has a gem on his hands with metaphorically-driven single, “Shockandawe.” It’s brief, but ultimately, compelling nonetheless.

Miguel knows his sex – at least in regards to capturing it musically.  His 2015 album, Wildheart, was by far the sexiest album of his career.  While it checked off boxes as a personal favorite of 2015, there’s no doubt the R&B standout may have overexerted himself at times.  After dropping promo single “Sky Walker,” assisted by Travis Scott, He returns with a second new single, “Shockandawe.” You know what’s shocking about “Shockandawe” – it’s not sexual.

“Shockandawe” opens with an interesting intro that asks the question, “Guess what this song is about?” As aforementioned, this isn’t about sex, even though Miguel uses some sexual metaphors.

“Bang bang, give it up right now / Strip for me, baby, strip for me / I dropped the bomb / Did I take your bomb…”

Yes, anything regarding stripping should be sexual, but, the song centers around war, politics, and the media.  This is exemplified by clever wordplay:

“Yeah, I said it / I run, I write, I rock / I ran that’s right, I run / I write, I rock, I ran I’m sayin’ / United Nations keep watchin’ / I’ll play hero / Media keep talkin’, but who want to stop me?”

There seems to be some reference to a certain 45^th President of the United States.  Beyond this passage, the catchy chorus represents the crème de la crème of “Shockandawe.”

“Bang, bang, baby, break yourself / Lose control when I take the world / I dropped the bomb / Did I take your bomb / Just shock and awe / Better brace yourself…”

Final Thoughts 

All in all, Miguel has a gem on his hands with “Shockandawe.” It only runs two-and-a-half-minutes in duration, but it’s a fantastic two-and-a-half-minutes.  The production is simple, yet effective, characterized by the consistent, rhythmic, distorted line. Besides the production work, the playful vocal approach by Miguel is a win.  His vocals are rarely pitched, purposely off-key, and heavily chanted.

Miguel • Shockandawe – Single • RCA • Release: 9.8.17 

Photo Credit: RCA