For what it’s worth, Partial Sum comes out swinging. I wasn’t expecting something so bold, candid, and brazen from their most recent single “Just Listen,” but that’s exactly what I was given, and I think I’m all the better for it. When I set out to listen to pop music, it’s generally pretty tame stuff that doesn’t move the emotional meter too drastically one way or the other — Taylor Swift for the bubblegum aesthetic, Billie Eilish for the production and mood-setting, but never anything to fully evoke any deep-seated emotions out of my craggy heart. Call me shortsighted but upon starting up “Just Listen,” I felt like I had a basic idea of what to expect from the coming four minutes. Thankfully, Partial Sum wasn’t afraid to put my emotions in check.
“Just Listen” is a track that wears its heart on its sleeve. The heart isn’t just on the sleeve, it practically makes up the entire sleeve (and sweater, or whatever they’re wearing in this metaphor.) The verses are used as very frank pleas to the narrator’s romantic partner to simply listen and return the love that they feel is lacking in the relationship. “Sometimes I get lonely, and I don’t feel like you know me, I don’t feel like you’re listening to me.” That’s about as frank as it can get, and coming as the main chorus for such a dynamic pop track with an instrumental track that feels primed for neon Miami nightlife crowds is a massive serve.
Partial Sum derives its name from the definition of “the sum of a part of a sequence, finite or infinite,” and you can tell that the group sees themselves as a unique brand of pop. There’s no doubt in my mind that the band is Trojan-horsing their way onto the pop scene to spread thought-provoking, in-depth discussions through their lyrics and music, as the bubbly electro-pop instrumentals invite eager ears closer to lyrics one might not generally expect to find within a club anthem.
While Partial Sum is only just beginning their release plan for a new album, I’m wondering if we’ll be lucky to see any re-imaginings of “Just Listen” soon. After all, this is the type of song practically begging for an “unplugged” remix with its innermost thoughts propelling the lyrical prose out into the world with a much less distinctly pop wardrobe. Either way, “Just Listen” is a song that will get the gears in your head turning as you reflect on your own closest relationships, and the melody is one you’ll have a hard time evicting from your head. The homage to early 2000’s club bangers with the use of full synth and fast-paced drum machines will age well into the future, and the overall production allows the song to flaunt both classic and contemporary tones within its runtime. While the instrumental feels plucked out of a 90’s megamix compilation, the vocal production is very vocals-forward, keeping in line with modern musical trends. There are a lot of bold musical choices being made only two tracks into an album rollout, and you have to admire Partial Sum for that. It’s too early to tell the trajectory of such ambitious moves, but I feel like it’s impossible not to love a song as earnest and open as “Just Listen.”
Chadwick Easton