It’s been a long time coming, just over 9 months to be exact; but finally 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs is back with a new single simply entitled ‘Ordinary Man’.
The song was written by One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder (responsible for Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love) and newcomer Nicholas RAS Furlong. Despite this, the song suits Altiyan perfectly. This is perhaps why it was chosen as the follow up to the 2010 smash ‘Somewhere In The World’ over Altiyan’s original songs.
‘Ordinary Man’ has a lot of pop sensibilities about it. Yet with the addition of Altiyan’s voice and the use of a piano and a distinct drum baseline, it becomes blurred between both pop and rock. It is also one of those rare songs that can literally trip you up when you really pay attention to the lyrics. Lines such as the opening “I don’t have Mozart’s talent, I don’t have Shakespeare’s hand…” are nothing if not absolutely beautiful. The same can be said of the phrase ‘It’s Winter in January”. They are like poetry and truly show the writing prowess of Tedder and Furlong.
The song seems to have one clear theme – the power of love. Love is what Altiyan preaches per se, so there is nobody else who could do this song the justice it deserves. The song speaks of an ordinary man, which is what Altiyan describes himself as; who is greatly impacted by love, to such an extent that the love experienced provides an extraordinary feeling from within. The song truly could not fit Altiyan anymore perfectly than if he had written it himself.
Beyond that though, the song means different things to different people. But at the heart of the matter is love. But there are many kinds of love – not just that which plays out within the lyrics of this particular song.
Forget everything that has happened to Altiyan in the last 9 months because ‘Ordinary Man’ is anything but.
Available now thru ITunes & Bandit.fm
