Review: New music from ByeAlex and Kállay Saunders Band

For months the words Hungary, Eurovision and hunk have been synonymous with one man — Freddie. But of course, the central European country has no shortage of talented guys. ByeAlex and Kállay Saunders are two of the most successful, so we’ve decided to catch-up on what they’ve been at in recent months. Our ears are perked and we like what we hear!

Kállay Saunders Band “Mama She Knows” and “#JOY”

Kállay Saunders hasn’t stopped working since losing out to Freddie in the A Dal 2016 final. Why would he? The Eurovision 2014 star still dreams of representing Hungary again, but until then he and his band are keeping busy in the studio. In March we got “Mama She Knows”. It’s an anthem for mothers everywhere. And András’ mother must have felt extremely proud when she heard the track for the first time. When Belgium’s Axel Hirsoux sang about his mother people wanted to cry (amongst other things). But even though the lyrics are bittersweet — “she was trying, I was blinded by the light, said my mama was right” — András manages to create an upbeat atmosphere. It’s all rather lovely.

https://youtu.be/feQXekIu8LQ

The feelgood themes continue in the band’s newest single “#JOY”. Once again, it’s an anthem for the masses. The “Running” singer urges us to “fill this world with joy” and “just turn around and say hello”. It’s a long way from the hedonistic thrills of last summer’s “Young”, but the change in direction is refreshing. The music video channels the good natured tone of the song, and shows a knock-off Mickey Mouse travel around the city spreading #JOY. It’s just simple things like writing kind notes and joining in with a dance, but they all raise a smile. Only at the end of the video do we learn that Mickey and András are one and the same.

ByeAlex & The Slepp “Nehéz Vagyok” and “Kicsi Lány”

ByeAlex, Hungary’s laid back Eurovision 2013 rep, is weird as always. But that’s why we love him. In February he gave us “Nehéz vagyok”, a song about relationships. We all have problems. And some days are harder than others to handle. We are all human. We have hard days, even when we are caught up in a heady romance. It’s natural, and none of that stops us from planning a happy future together. The colourful video gives off major positive vibes. It’s quirky perkiness is infectious.

By contrast, the January released “Kicsi Lány” is not happy… not at all! It’s depressingly apocalyptic as ByeAlex tells us that no matter what we do, if we’re satisfied or not, the end will come. The lyrics are incredibly dark, but the music gives the song an interesting feel. And again, the “Kedvesem” hitmaker makes it al work. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, don’t worry. Let it go and live life as you wish. It’s all going to end anyways, so just embrace it.