Noah Levine Comes to Terms with Reality on “Want It More”
Photo by Tyler Krippaehne
Just one day following the release of his latest single, “Want It More,” Austin, TX-born Noah Levine played a hotly anticipated show at Nashville’s The Basement East. The gig, attended by many of the cities rising indie scene, featured a special guest appearance from none other than Noah Kahan, whom Levine has spent the better part of the last several years backing in arenas and stadiums across the world. The pair, supported by the likes of Sydney Rose and Bo Staloch, performed “Leaver,” the title track of Levine’s album of the same name.
Naturally, the focal point of the Basement East show was Leaver, which highlights Levine’s ear for dynamic growth and sonic curiosity across songs like “Regretter,” “Safe House,” “Complex,” and the title track. Less than three months later, he is once again expanding his catalog with “Want It More,” a far simpler and aesthetically organic tune than much of the record.
The plucky opening of the tune, serving as the backdrop for much of its two-and-a-half-minute runtime, is reminiscent of the Jonas Brothers’ version of Busted’s “Year 3000.” However, Levine’s breathy, earnest vocal approach diverges from the playfulness of the early JoBros hit, as he attempts to come to terms with the gutting feeling of fighting a losing battle: “I don’t want to feel insane/ I don’t want to leave in case you decide to save us, instead of saving face.”
An innate pop orator, Levine’s instinctual melodic choices lead him upwards to his floaty falsetto in the chorus, during which he answers the questions he presents to both himself and his subject in the verses: “I’m not some factory machine to mold you how you wanna be/ I can’t make you change, can’t force you to see/ Can’t make you want it more than me.” Coming to terms with the one-sided nature of his predicament, Levine is rational yet firm in his assessment.
Ultimately, the tune is seemingly based in some form of reality, as Levine admits to having experienced both this level of guilt and the ping of sadness knowing the individual is beyond reach. “Knowing you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped has to be one of the most painful things to realize,” he said in a statement. “I feel like ‘Want It More gives a voice to the inner dialogue urging somebody to make a change for the better.”
Listen to "Want It More" below:
