This latest release from Natalie K is more than just a song. It is a heartfelt anthem paying tribute to the people of Armenia and the struggles that they have faced, and continue to face. The news of war on the Armenian borders last year reminded Natalie K of where she comes from culturally and, being a musician, the natural thing to do was to write a song about the resilience of her people, past and present. It deals with survivors throughout the country’s history, from the recent troubles to the infamous Armenian Genocide a century before and back through time.
As a song, it is a graceful hymn, one that rises from understated and spacious tones, a gossamer platform for Natalie K’s vocals to float across and it is those passionate tones that remain the focal point of the song. The music ebbs and flows around her but it is her resonant vocals and proud lyrical stance which provides the power and the poignancy here.
And in a clever touch, the song drifts out with 12 seconds of silence, both a quiet mark of respect and a moment of contemplation, but also ensuring that the song is 4 minutes and 24 seconds long, a respectful and covert nod to the fact that Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is observed on 24th April each year.
Some songs are just vehicles for ideas and important messages, Survivors goes even beyond that, it is nothing less than a rallying cry and anthem for the people that she is a part of.
