It may or may not be a coincidence that emerging pop/dance singer Charley Young released her infectious, soaring and gloriously thumping singalong “Hold the Moon” on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong’s “one giant leap for mankind.”
Either way, her delightful track will have you toe-tapping, then getting up, looking up and grooving as you contemplate lunar possibilities and how the moon affects us literally and metaphorically.
Beyond the beats and anthem-like drums, the California born, Gulf Coast of Florida raised singer – who cites her influences as all things 80s, but fits perfectly in today’s Katy Perry/Ariana Grande landscape as well - invites us into her dreamy and mystical atmospheric realm with impassioned lyrics about helping someone in need. “Where are the stars when you feel so broken?/Look at the sky and you’ll see me.”
One of the coolest aspects of the track is how the thumping gives way to a more emphatic burst of percussion when she gets to the reassuring chorus. Also of note, and perhaps the reason she’s able to bring so much emotion to a genre that is often more obsessed with vibe and beats - - is the fact that she is an actor with several IMDB credits. “Hold the Moon” is also available in a “Retro Mix” version, whose layers of electronic percussion add some extra propulsion to the track.