Emotional Oranges' "Bonafide" Is a Reminder to Not Let Hard Times Phase Your Love
Genuine and "made in good faith," the very definition of bonafide, perfectly describes the stunningly sincere new Emotional Oranges tune, "Bonafide," featuring Chiiild.
The song kicks off with a percussion sample that almost sounds like a ticking clock, before a smooth, rubbery bass cues the full drums and the entrance of the enchanting voice of Vali, half of the electrifying Emotional Oranges duo.
"Bonafide" song masterfully achieves an immersive ambience while remaining cleverly simple. The pre-chorus vocal melody is reminiscent of early 2000s R&B and beautifully sets the stage for the chorus. As Emotional Oranges told NME, "Getting the Chiiild vocals on the hook was the cherry on top - we've been looking for the right song to do together since tour." Chiiild's complimenting voice gently guides us through the chorus as he sings, "When the river runs dry / I won’t give up on you."
"Bonafide" is about not giving up on your love for someone. The group's members, which include Drake's engineer, "A" and Adele's vocal coach, "V," seek to remain anonymous to keep the focus on the music. As the multi-talented duo tweeted, this song was "heavily inspired by The xx and Sade… definitely my favorite track i've produced. hope it reminds you to love yourself (and others) through the hard times."
V sings in the second verse, "Are you okay sleeping through the silence? / 'Cause we’re bonafide... / You keep saying you’re too hard to love / Liar." As the smooth chorus re-enters, it paves the way for an immersive side chain synth, which accompanies Chiiild through the airy outro.
Not only is "Bonafide" the perfect night drive song, but it also drives home an important reminder - to not give up on love, even through hard times. And we're thankful to Emotional Oranges for using their art to spread that message.
Listen to "Bonafide" below:
