Swedish musician Don Fanella wants you to experience the intensity of discovering strong feelings for someone in his single, Have You Ever?
The song mixes synths with an intense drumbeat, giving the music an almost ethereal feeling. There is something in the way it flows that reminds me a little of Bob Marley, although there are obvious differences. Have You Ever? is much more pop-oriented and modern.
Written and composed by Fanella himself, the lyrics speak about love and the intense attraction he feels towards the person he is singing about. When he repeatedly asks, “Have you ever felt anything like this?”, I get the feeling that this is something new even to him, and something he almost can't believe he has found.
I think most of us have either felt this way at some point, or are still searching for that feeling.
When I close my eyes and listen, I can imagine being in a room with someone I'm deeply attracted to. A romantic night, candlelight, sitting together on the couch and talking about our lives and dreams. That's where this song takes me.
I really enjoy the chilled-out vibe of the song and, at the same time, how deeply it can touch you. I'm not normally a fan of synths, but here they seem to work. Personally, I might have preferred to hear a horn or saxophone in their place, but that's more about my own musical taste than something being wrong with the song.
Have You Ever? isn't trying to hide the feeling behind complicated ideas. It's a song about being completely caught up in another person and wondering whether anyone else has ever felt quite the same way.
For me, its strength is that it creates a place for that feeling. For a few minutes, I can close my eyes and be there.
