Speaking about the phenomenon known as Reetoxa is to speak about an outstanding display of sheer, stubborn willpower, a power exemplified through the genius intellect and soul of Jason McKee. For almost thirty years now, Jason McKee has been the indomitable, unforgiving protector of his artistic authenticity, building up his unique artistry in the midst of the unrefined, unvarnished harshness of reality before he ever let anyone else in on it. To see such a sacred dedication to absolute authenticity meet its destiny is truly something special indeed. To McKee, such an amazing union was made possible through the collaboration between him and none other than the legendary Simon Moro, who is nominated for ARIA awards. Indeed, McKee and Moro have managed to create something legendary together as they bring to life some truly amazing songs: from the earth-shattering immediacy of “War Killer” and the very narrative nature of “The Lisa Song,” to the truly awe-inspiring juggernauts that are “Love Keeps Burning Still” and “Bottle.” And finally, the legendary storyteller is back in all his glory. The gifted artist released his latest single on July 3rd, named “You Deserve Better Than Me.” Let’s discuss the song

The music is like a serene morning, coming through with the soft, incredibly warm tones of a guitar that feel so welcoming, like your comfy sweater from days ago. The drums are intentionally kept to a minimum to give way to the guitar, letting it take center stage where it can sparkle and glow. But that’s not even the real magic; it is not until the vocals come into play that you get to witness what truly makes this piece work. They are incredible: mesmerizing, powerful, and absolutely spellbinding.

Every beautiful, honest, and heartfelt ballad has something that makes it so much more human, and “You Deserve Better Than Me” is no different. In this reflective piece of art, the author was inspired by something that came up completely out of the blue: a random meeting via the Tinder dating app which took place at a Mexican restaurant and Arcadia Bar located in South Yarra. There, while enjoying each other’s company, McKee met an amazing individual, somebody who had all the qualities that would be wished for. But as the night went on and the author was getting ready to leave, there came the cold, hard truth: despite all the pleasantness, the spark, that special something that is needed to light a fire, was nowhere to be found. This is the complex beauty of both love and life itself. The one thing we always get hammered home is that love is not something you can create simply because you want to and hope for it to come true. We have to have this kind of natural flame ignite inside of us to set the fires of passion and devotion ablaze. Otherwise, no matter how good the connection might seem, it will wither away and become just another memory of the past. By deciding to let go and not force something that never was, McKee has made a brave and wise decision, one that could have easily gone the other way had he been carried away by the superficial beauty of the moment. At the end of the day, “You Deserve Better Than Me” is an emotional and mature anthem for all of us, a reminder that when treading through the dangerous waters of the human heart, we must always use our head as well as our heart.

The song was recorded in the iconic Avenue Recording Studio, Cheltenham, Melbourne, and it is a perfect embodiment of the magic of music creation in the studio environment. Indeed, the song emerged miraculously fast due to Kit Riley changing the chord progression spontaneously during the recording and the band playing the song perfectly in only four takes! The story that started with an ephemeral dream about meeting a remarkable person at the very worst moment turned out to be a real-life experience. As a result, one obtains a unique cathartic sing-along song that tells the tale of the beautiful tragedy of missed meetings and emotional honesty. Every listener will find himself or herself in it and will never forget this masterpiece!

The very title itself is a stroke of brilliance in terms of emotional maturity, revealing so much about what a truly rare gentleman Jason McKee is. Instead of clinging on to someone for the sole purpose of filling up a void in their heart or ego, or keeping on with something when there is no heart match at all, Jason walks away with such poise. It is truly a great deal of self-awareness and honesty for someone to let go of a person, allowing them to walk down that path and meet someone who will make them feel that lightning.

At the end of the day, “You Deserve Better Than Me” will continue to serve as another monumental, undeniable factor in why my heart will forever beat for Reetoxa. This is due to the fact that there is a palpable energy force running throughout every one of their songs, the energy that comes purely from the authentic experiences that they draw from when writing each track. It is truly an honor to be a fan and to witness the way that they take all the ups and downs that they have been through and turn them into such a fascinating and amazing sound experience to share. Again, a huge, heart-filled congratulations are definitely for Reetoxa for putting out yet another true masterpiece. I can safely say that I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what they have in store next.

Stream “You Deserve Better Than Me” on Spotify 

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