Johnnie Mikel releases new Lyric Video/Single

“Two love struck dreamers / We were broke, but we had something / I was to blind to see the beauty in the nothing / Nothing to lose” croons a carefree Johnnie Mikel in the chorus of his new single and lyric video “Nothing to Lose.” Co-written with Blair Daly, Mikel doesn’t hesitate to put himself out on display for everyone to see in this most recent release, and truth be told, his willingness to be exposed couldn’t be much more refreshing right now. “Nothing to Lose” is an anthem of unrepentant honesty, and it’s hitting record store shelves at an amazing moment this summer.

MORE ON JOHNIE MIKEL: https://www.johnniemikel.com/

Comparative to previous efforts, this single is a lot more vulnerable in tone and design, but I wouldn’t describe it as a total departure from the look that Johnnie Mikel has been creating for himself since first hitting the scene a few years ago. There’s a lot of unguarded poetry coming at us in the verses here, but I wouldn’t call “Nothing to Lose” a lyrical showcase exclusively. It’s too multifaceted from a melodic perspective and, frankly, too instrumentally powerful for me to categorize it using such a limited and generic branding.

The lyric video for “Nothing to Lose” is a terrific document all on its own, and instead of it merely presenting us with the words to the song and nothing more, it has the look and feel of a more typical video (sans the pomp and overindulgence, of course). Mikel’s work has never been inclusive of filler, but even in a stripped-down release like this video, there’s a moderate grandiosity to the style of the imagery and the music that makes us feel as though we’re watching something far more elaborate than what we actually are. That’s tough to pull off for any artist, regardless of talent.

I really like the minimalist-inspired bass element in this single. When taking into account the sheer intensity of the vocal/beat tandem attack up front, there isn’t any need for the bombast that comes with throwing down a heavy bottom-end in any single, no matter what genre of music it happens to be. Johnnie Mikel doesn’t want us getting lost in the little details of his sound; he’s got a larger narrative that he wants to get across to us in “Nothing to Lose,” and rather than beating around the bush, he’s getting down to brass tacks as efficiently and melodically as possible.

You don’t have to be a diehard pop fan to get into what Johnnie Mikel is producing in his new single “Nothing to Lose” and its equally exciting lyric video, but for those of us who are, it’s a must-listen without debate. I’ve been keeping up with the underground pop beat for a number of years now, and though his fans have come to expect this caliber of content from Johnnie Mikel after his numerous successful releases, I have a feeling this most recent cut is going to do a lot for his visibility on both sides of the dial.

Samuel Pratt