Parrish Entertainment
Release Date: June 7th 2024
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Peyton Parrish– Kingdoms Of Magical Rock (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Hellfire [The Hunchback Of Notre Dame]
- Heigh-Ho [Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs]
- Surface Pressure [Encanto]
- Into The Unknown (feat. Matthew K. Heafy) [Metal Version] [Frozen 2]
- Kung Fu Fighting [Kung Fu Panda]
- Evermore [Beauty And The Beast]
- The Greatest Show [The Greatest Showman]
- Poor Unfortunate Souls [The Little Mermaid]
- Take Me Away [Freaky Friday]
- Deliver Us [The Prince OF Egypt]
- Gaston [Beauty And The Beast]
- Here I Am [Spirit: Stallion Of the Cimarron]
- How Far I’ll Go [Moana]
- This Is Me [The Greatest Showman]
- The Plagues [The Prince Of Egypt]
- Fearless Hero [Puss In Boots: The Last Wish]
- Scream [High School Musical]
- Why Should I Worry [Oliver And Company]
- I Stand Alone [Quest For Camelot]
- On My Way [Brother Bear]
- Touch The Sky [Brave]
- Into The Unknown [Frozen 2]
These days, is it easier to be a signed music artist? With all of the pressures of releasing a full-length album every 2-3 years, all the while being expected to live life to the fullest and also interact with your fans on social media, always keeping up appearances at the live shows, and making sure that you release that hit special song and that number one single? With social media and the prevalence of the internet… sometimes I’d have to say that artists in the 80’s and 90’s quite possibly could have had it better. There was radio, there was physical album sales, there was touring and that’s it. No TikTok, no Twitter, no YouTube, no Instagram, and also no worries and no dramas. U2, Lionel Richie, Queen, ABBA, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, The Police, John Farnham, The Corrs, Jimmy Barnes, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Shania Twain… the list goes on when you think about these legends of music who had to contend with releasing their music without the presence of the internet. Yes, it probably is ‘easier’ for people to get music out to the masses these days. But is it more real, more authentic?
These days, all you need is a Spotify account, some sort of audio recording tool, and a social media account of some kind. Then theoretically you’re set. People will hear your music. You will be criticised, rightly or wrongly. And it is simpler to get your work out into the world. But this means that for every good artist out there that have risen up through the internet, there are a million more who have failed- because the world has deemed them ‘bad’. In the 80’s and 90’s, the artists you heard about were the artists that would eventually be timeless. These days, you hear it all- the good, the bad and the ugly.
So how do we sift through the good artists- if we’re just going by artists who predominately live on the internet and create via YouTube. There are a million or more social media giants- so who reigns supreme? Who deserves your attention and who doesn’t? I know, it’s callous, and insensitive. But that’s the industry for you these days. I wish it wasn’t so… but on the flipside, would you hear all of these amazing YouTube artists in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s? I think not!
We started diving deep into the YouTube space when we stumbled upon acapella artist Peter Hollens. We’ve reviewed plenty of albums of his (read them here), and since that time other artists have come up from that digital space that are equally as impressive. Home Free, Tyler Ward, Tiffany Alvord, First To Eleven, Cimorelli, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Caleb Hyles, Jonathan Young, Halocene, Megan Nicole, and Lucy Thomas are just a few of the many YouTube artists to touch our soul. And as you peruse these artists and their videos and music at your own pace (and I do encourage you to check them out, because they’re each awesome in their own unique way!), I want to highlight a special artist called Peyton Parrish.
Actually, he’s not that special. His voice is incredibly unpolished, unfiltered, and raw. His rock style akin to Creed, Daughtry and Nickelback. But Peyton’s Disney covers? Superb! Second to none! I should know- the 2023 album The Most Magical Album On Earth has captured my attention and won me over many, many times. Sure, Peyton’s renditions are probably too loud and may give you headaches if you listen to these songs in one sitting. But one listen to “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”, “Go the Distance”, “You’ll Be In My Heart”, “Speechless” or “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You”… and you’ll instantly be a fan! We reviewed the album here; and this year, Peyton is back for round 2- Kingdoms Of Magical Rock, the spiritual sequel of sorts, featuring more songs from Disney classics and other movie soundtracks- even songs from The Quest For Camelot, The Prince Of Egypt, Kung Fu Panda and The Greatest Showman make the cut!
Disney songs are what I grew up with. They’ll always be sentimental and nostalgic to me. They’ll always have a special place in my heart, no matter who sings them. And the lyrics are applicable to all who listen, no matter what you believe in and no matter your walk of life. I may be biased, but Peyton Parrish’s Kingdoms Of Magical Rock is as equally as a superb album as its predecessor, with instant replay value no matter which way you slice it. And if you’re one to think that Disney or movie soundtracks and rock don’t go together… then think again. These tracks are special, and you need to give them a chance. Enough said. Will I check out a Peyton Parrish album in the future? Perhaps- when I check out more of his discography. But even if I don’t, it doesn’t matter. Disney songs and songs recorded specifically for epic movies, have that way of unifying anyone and everyone who listen- and that’s when they’ve done here with this unique and ambitious project! Well done, Peyton, these songs are incredibly awesome, and I’m somewhat intrigued at what is next for you in the future! As for how technology shapes the musical landscape? Keep watching the news- because I reckon Chat GPT will have a big say in how songs are written!
5 songs to listen to: The Greatest Show, Here I Am, How Far I’ll Go, Why Should I Worry, On My Way
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Peter Hollens, Home Free, Tyler Ward, Tiffany Alvord, First To Eleven, Cimorelli, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Caleb Hyles, Jonathan Young, Halocene, Megan Nicole, Lucy Thomas