Another Music Single review today dear readers and this time we will be talking about the exceptionally talented Craig Cooney. His latest single ‘Young Forever’ dropped on Friday 17th of July and when I say it is a chill, catchy number from this up and coming Irish Rapper, I truly mean it! He is also our Artist is the Spotlight for July because we champion Irish Music a lot here at Our Muchness Guide and we felt Craig was the perfect choice to be this month’s Artist in the Spotlight.
Craig first became known to us here at Our Muchness Guide back in September 2019 when Emma was attending the FM104 The Gig and texted me (Niamh) saying:
“You need to look up Craig Cooney. His music is really your type.”
His name may also be familiar to our regular readers as we featured Craig in our Irish Artists A-C list back in February. We stated then that we were looking forward to seeing Craig grow bigger and bigger as the year progresses in 2020 and by gosh Craig did not disappoint! So, without further ado, let’s talk about this Rising Star in more detail.
Okay Niamh, You seem fairly passionate about your love for Craig’s Music but, who is Craig Cooney?
Craig Cooney is an Irish Rap Artist from County Kildare. He fell in love with Rap music from an early age and you can tell from listening to his music across the board that he has many influences and styles that have developed over the years. Not one of Craig’s songs sound the same as a previous release. He has been consistent on the Irish Music scene for two years now after his freestyling videos blew up on social media. Trust me when I say you need to follow Craig’s Instagram and Facebook to truly understand that previous statement. Along with his single releases, Craig regularly uploads original freestyle rap content across his platforms.
All has been quiet on Craig’s front since his headline show back in January which I am still raging I couldn’t make it up to last minute. Here’s to hoping we, here at Our Muchness Guide, will be able to catch Craig live before the end of 2020; if not, 2021 will definitely be our year! But, as we patiently await for gigs to be a thing again Craig is back with a new single! ‘Young Forever’ dropped last Friday, the 17th of July and it has been such an ear worm since it came out for me.
Young Forever
‘Young Forever’ is Craig’s first release since he signed with Fluttertone early this year and it was recorded in Windmill Lane Studios by Engineer and Producer Cormac Kavanagh. Craig himself describes the track as being a song that will “help people who have found they have lost touch with their former selves and the memories they made in their youth.” He is hoping that during the three minutes of this song that you are transported to the past!
After reading a little bit about the song itself, what inspired it and what the artist hoped to unlock in his audience,I was a bit skeptical that I would feel the way Craig would want me to feel as I myself don’t have any kids. However, having had these doubts I was pleasantly surprised by how ‘Young Forever’ develops as a trip down memory lane and is not just a song that you listen to in the background.
‘Young Forever’ shows a clever use of nostalgia in a song which I haven’t seen in a really long time. Off the top of my head the last time I felt such a pull to take a trip down memory lane was when One Direction released ‘History’ back in 2016. Craig unlocks this magical time machine from the beginning of the song with the clever use of acoustic music, sounds and off distance vocals.
My favourite part of any Craig Cooney song is the lyrics. When it comes to ‘Young Forever’ the verses are filled with memory after memory that will make you remember every good and back decision you made in your youth! As for the Chorus? It is exceptionally catchy! You will be whistling and singing it in your head for hours after listening to it!
As stated above, Craig uses a mixture of acoustic music, sounds and distant vocals to create a scene. In movies people always talk about the show and don’t tell the story. Well, Craig has created his own version of this with the clever use of laughing, seagull sounds, acoustic guitar and muffled higher pitched vocals to help trigger memories within the listener before the lead vocals kick in. I haven’t seen this technique begin used in such an effective way in the Irish Hip Hop/Rap Scene in quite some time. It shows that Criag is not afraid to experiment within his own music to truly create a unique piece of art.
Overall the song itself is a chill mellow single that will bring you on a journey where some details, that you may have forgotten about until listening to ‘Young Forever,’ are brought to the forefront of your mind. ‘Young Forever’ is a complete 180 degree turn from any of Craig’s previous releases and I, for one, adore the amount of time and effort Craig puts into every song he writes. From lyrics, to the music and to the style; he is always thinking outside the box and constantly growing as an artist.
Other Music to date from Craig Cooney?
To date Craig has a number of singles out in the world. You can find five on his Spotify and a few others on his Youtube Page. ‘Cream’, ‘Proud’ and ‘Time Will Heal’ just to name a few. He has only been releasing songs since 2018 and has been making waves in the Irish Hip Hop/Rap Scene since.
Most Underrated song: In my opinion ‘Home’ is the most underrated song out there by Craig Cooney. You can check it out below but, I felt it should have been featured across many more platforms and radio stations than it was.
Favourite Song? Technically, a recording of my favourite song by Craig isn’t out in the World yet but, out of all of his singles to date, I would have to say ‘Young Forever’ because it took me by surprise and having such a chill memorable song in my life at the moment is just what I needed.
Favourite Lyrics? They are from a song that isn’t out yet so I shall keep them to myself for now.
Any Gig Memories?
Unfortunately I haven’t been lucky enough to see Craig live yet apart from Social Distancing live gigs via social media but, from Emma’s account from the FM 104’s The Gig, I cannot wait to make it to one in person and I hope you consider going to one too.
What’s Next For Craig Cooney?
Keep your eyes and ears glued to Craig’s social media in the coming weeks and months as we can guarantee some big things are coming from this artist! We don’t want to spoil all the fun but I am exceptionally excited for a certain song to drop and cannot wait to see what else Craig has up his sleeve. 2020 may have been the year many of us slowed down but it is a year filled with exciting music, news and endless possibilities for Craig. You can check out Criag’s Spotify here. His Instagram page here and his Facebook page here.
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