Feelin' Up: Songwriting With NV

 I'm starting a small series for my next few post called "Songwriting with NV" (get it, NV = envy). I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a little of what most people want me to do anyway as a songwriter and explain a few of the songs I've written. Now, don't worry, I'll do that...at least a bit - I can't give away all my secrets, you know. Some of it's still for me. ;)

 

Feelin' Up by Norman Vladimir from "Sounds"

Performing "Feelin' Up" Live @ The Living Room, NYC

So, the song above is my song "Feelin' Up", and it's on my EP "Sounds"...which you can purchase on iTunes here (shameless plug!). To date, it's one of my most requested tunes to perform, and currently, there are two friends of mine who are literally fighting over who gets it for their wedding song. I love it! :)

When you first hear the title, you probably expect it's gonna be one of those R. Kelly-esque, body worshipping, steamy, sultry songs that dominate current Hip-Hop and R&B, and I'll admit, I gave it this title on purpose. Yeah, I'm sneaky. There are a few elements of that "steaminess" in there. For example, one line of the song says "we swim the sheets, to our favorite beat, till we find the one that we need...", but what I wanted to do with this song was play with the concept of love vs. lust, and to see whether or not the two could co-exist. There are many people we love, that we don't lust over, and there are many we lust over that we don't love, right?! So, I mixed and interplayed those feelings and emotions you get from someone you love with that "jump your bones" physical response you get in both the first and second verse, with the second verse being a bit more introspective about how this person makes you feel inside. So, by the time you get to the chorus after each verse, the concept of "Feelin' Up" becomes a double-entendre of feeling happy and feelin', ahem, horny (up)!

All that being said, I have a confession: I can't say that I've ever truly been in love. Yes, I've loved people, but I can't say that I've ever been in love. From what I hear it's debilitating and awesome! I wrote the song at a time when I wasn't in a relationship, and frankly, I'm just a big ol' hopeless romantic, so I was literally sitting one day, thinking about what it would be like to finally find that person that makes you ignore everyone else at the party, that person that has this otherworldly illumination or "halo" around their face that has nothing to do with the lighting of the room, that person that you can't help but do anything when you see them but smile and feel completely powerless, yet completely complete. It's a feeling, I believe, we all aspire to have. That's why I wrote this song.

So, who knows: maybe one of these days I'll be "Feelin' Up"...

What's your story? Do you have someone who has you "Feelin' Up"? I want to hear from you. Write me on twitter: @normanvladimir

Much love,
NV

Thoughts? Do you like this series?

Links:
- My Website:  http://www.normanvladimir.com/
- Twitter: @normanvladimir
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/normanvladimir1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/normanvladimir
- iTunes "Sounds": https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sounds/id326854876