Texas-born singer/songwriter Tayler Holder is back with his new single, “I Hope.” The new track, co-written by Australian hitmaker Clinton Kane (“CHICKEN TENDIES,” “I don’t want to watch the world end with anyone else”), is Holder’s emotional send-off to a girl he fell in love with but who was, ultimately, still consistently hanging out with an ex while “with” Holder.
Holder, who has a massive following on Tik Tok of just over 20 million, has been releasing a string of stand-alone singles this year in his attempt to really prioritize his music career. “Never Was You”, a standout, sees Holder as the opposite role of the “I Hope” scenario, in which he is the one who has been hurt. But in NWY, he has to be the bearer of bad news once he realizes that he doesn’t feel “that way” about this girl. He admits guilt and tries to let her down the easy “it’s not you, it’s me” way. This track, and others of Holders, are clear nods to Kid LAROI and other youngins of the pop/pop-punk world, with its gravelly vocals and vulnerable, remorseful point of view. “Human”, in which he showcases some impressive vocals in his mixed register and falsetto, is another major high point of his catalog.
These songs are a way to humanize Holder who, on the surface, looks like just another young musclehead in a sea of young muscleheads online. He could almost be Cameron Dallas’ brother. It’s no wonder why he’s popular, and, based off his socials, he has the kind of personality that people just can’t help but gravitate towards. The hope is that these songs are coming from a real place instead of some fabricated publicity scheme, like, “Hey, let me just write some really sappy songs so people think I’m relatable.” Sometimes, with these influencers, you can’t always tell. I think Holder may actually be in the Shawn Mendes category of like… really hot guy who is genuinely in touch with his emotions.
But, regardless, “I Hope” is the long text message or attempted phone call that gets sent to voicemail at the end of a relationship, or whatever it is, in song form. The one where you pour your heart out and the other person just says, “Thanks” or, if they really feel adventurous, “I know you’ll find someone.”
If I’m being honest, the stripped-back nature of the song doesn’t do Holder any favors. The excessive use of vocal fry, a tool meant for conveying and accentuating the emotion of a lyric, is extremely prominent. As is the strange affectation he uses every time he sings “I hope” and “call home.” Both things get to be a bit much. He uses vocal fry a fair bit in “Human”, which is, truly, a pretty great song, but it’s harder to pick up on it with more instrumental happening behind him. The sweeter parts of his voice that you hear on the pre-chorus; “Tears and a smile as we let go”, are much more pleasing to listen to. The use of vocal fry is done much more effectively at the very end of the track, when he cries out, “I hope he’s the one,” over and over. It sounds much more convincing at that moment, as he is almost delaying having to say a final goodbye, even though this girl very clearly left emotional scars and doesn’t seem to care that she did so.
With all that being said, while I feel like he could have done a bit more vocally to match the energy of the instrumental, it is clear he is connected to the piece and set out to make it sound as grand as possible. Commanding drums, the ever-present acoustic guitar line, layered harmonies that build to a crescendo… it all works, and it all adds to the drama and emotion. He is opening himself up and being the bigger man in the situation, saying; “I hope he loves you in all the ways I don’t. Loves all the things that you hate about yourself when you’re afraid… I hope he holds you close.” The last “I Hope” song we heard, from Gabby Barrett (and Charlie Puth on the “popular” version), was much more “Before He Cheats”-like, but Holder’s is more grounded, more self-inflicting, and more human.
You can stream “I Hope” here:
You can follow Tayler on social media here:
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