A passionate pop anthem full of fire and might, Amy Shark’s “Everybody Rise” is the rallying cry 2020’s been waiting for.
Stream: “Everybody Rise” – Amy Shark
I want everyone to remember they are not alone.
Australian phenomenon Amy Shark doesn’t waste any time in making her voice heard in her new music: As light pizzicato strings pluck a sweet melody, a resounding message – loud and crystal clear – rings out across the light: Everybody, everybody rise!
It’s a rousing call to action – two simple, inspiring words that resonate in these troubling times. A passionate pop anthem full of fire and might, Amy Shark’s “Everybody Rise” is the rallying cry 2020’s been waiting for.
One day I’m just gonna walk up to you
Say it how it is, I’m in love with you
Been thinking ’bout this for a month or two
God help me, I’ve been so scared to
I’m gonna reach out say “Hey” (Hey)
Been thinkin’ ’bout you all day
All these years I’ve been a ghost to you
Put your hands on me, they’ll go straight through
Released June 18, “Everybody Rise” arrives as Amy Shark’s first single of 2020 to mark the beginning of her next chapter – a new era cultivating big sounds and catchy melodies without sacrificing the human depth and intimate connection Shark has long embraced in her art. Produced by Joel Little (Lorde, Taylor Swift, Broods, Sam Smith), “Everybody Rise” is a feverish rejection of pop culture and idol worship reminding all who listen that YOU matter most.
“I want everyone to remember they are not alone,” Shark tells Atwood Magazine. “We live in such a weird world that is filled with worship culture, and I feel like the lines get very warped between lovers, friends and even fans and artists.”
It’s an important sentiment to Shark, but this song goes well beyond that in its heavy-hitting, fist-in-the-air chorus. “It had that slick polished pop sound that I was hungry for,” she explains. “I wanted to take everything to a new level and I knew I could do that with Joel Little. I’m confident that I know how to make songs that are attractive to the Aussie ear, but I wanted this new music to be on a worldwide level.”
One day I’m just gonna walk up to you
Say it how it is, I’m in love with you
Been thinking ’bout this for a month or two
God help me, I’ve been so scared to
I’m gonna reach out say “Hey” (Hey)
Been thinkin’ ’bout you all day
All these years I’ve been a ghost to you
Put your hands on me, they’ll go straight through
Shark’s ambition is laudable, and completely understandable coming from an artist who took her country by storm just a few years ago: Her third single “Adore,” originally released in April 2016, became a runaway hit – peaking at number 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart and being certified 4× Platinum, with over 60 million streams on Spotify alone. The intoxicatingly dark and raw hit single – described by Atwood Magazine at the time as possessing “a unique, addictive ambiance that demands you to think about your first emotional infatuation” – also helped turn Shark herself into an overnight sensation. Her seductive debut album Love Monster arrived two years later, cementing her star status with earworms like “I Said Hi” and “I Got You,” among others.
Following 2019’s standalone single “Mess Her Up” and a compelling collaboration with The Chainsmokers for their song “The Reaper,” “Everybody Rise” sets Amy Shark up for a dynamic and thrilling second half of the year. “There is so much confidence and growth when you compare “Everybody Rise’ to Love Monster,” Shark says of her new material. “Not just songwriting, but the sound and the structure, all the little elements that make a great song are magnified one thousand percent in this new era of Amy Shark.”
Though a project has yet to be announced, Shark confirms that there is much more new music to come. If “Everybody Rise” is just the taste, then we cannot wait for what she has in store for us. The confidence and sheer radiance of her performance is unmatched; in a year so full of darkness, pain, and suffering, “Everybody Rise” is the uplifting and spirited anthem we need to stand up, join (metaphorical) hands, and persevere as one.
Everybody, everybody rise for you
Everybody, everybody cries like I do
We all wonder what it’s like
To be with you, with you
Everybody rise (Everybody rise)
I feel like I’m a lot more educated on sound and songwriting, and I am flexing those new skills pretty hard during this “Shark 2.0” era.
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:: stream/purchase “Everybody Rise” here ::
Stream: “Everybody Rise” – Amy Shark
“EVERYBODY RISE” WITH AMY SHARK
Atwood Magazine: Amy, I remember hearing “Adore” for the very first time back in 2016 and thinking it was special then. 60 million streams later, it’s clear I’m not the only one who felt that way. What was your relationship with that song when you first wrote it?
Amy Shark: I had written so many songs before ‘Adore’ so i didn’t think i was onto something THAT special at all. I wrote very quickly – I look back now and think maybe it was this weird sign from god to keep going. I had officially given up on being a musician at that stage, so I was writing songs just for the pure enjoyment. Maybe that’s why it all fell into place.
How has your attitude and feelings toward “Adore” changed over the years?
Amy Shark: I love it just as much now as I did two years ago. Maybe even a little more now just because I can see the incredible life it’s given me. I get to write music everyday and that is a dream.
Your debut album Love Monster is an easy standout from 2018 (I remember streaming it on repeat). What are you most proud of about your first full-length album, and how do you feel you’ve grown in the past two years since then?
Amy Shark: Love Monster was a very special and proud moment for me, I had so many songs that were just ideas and demos on my laptop so to finally give them a home where so many people can visit is the best feeling in the world. I felt like I was kind of winging it with Love Monster, I had a team but I kinda went rouge a little bit. I have learnt so much from that process and I am very ready for this next phase. I feel like I’m a lot more educated on sound and songwriting, and I am flexing those new skills pretty hard during this “Shark 2.0” era.
The past year has seen the devastating bushfires wreak havoc on Australia, followed now by the COVID-19 pandemic. How have you been handling this from an artist’s perspective?
Amy Shark: There’s a time where you have to take a step back from your own life, music etc and listen to what the world is saying. The world is very sick at the moment with climate change, racism, health, and I hit a stage where the last thing on my mind was music. All I could think about was the pain people were going through and how scary, unfair and unpredictable everything was.
“Everybody Rise” feels incredibly polished in both sound and performance. Is this a song you could have made 4 years ago? What do you feel had to transpire in order for this track to come to life?
Amy Shark: I wanted to take everything to a new level and I knew I could do that with Joel Little. I’m confident that I know how to make songs that are attractive to the Aussie ear, but I wanted this new music to be on a worldwide level. I have extremely big goals and high expectations of myself, but that’s only because I believe in what I am building and I believe in the songs I am writing.
One day I’m just gonna walk up to you
Say it how it is, I’m in love with you
Been thinking ’bout this for a month or two
God help me, I’ve been so scared to
I’m gonna reach out say “Hey” (Hey)
Been thinkin’ ’bout you all day
All these years I’ve been a ghost to you
Put your hands on me, they’ll go straight through
I get it I’m not in your league, too hot
Help me make it stop
God, have mercy on me
“Everybody Rise” is also your first release since 2019’s single “Mess Her Up.” Why did you want to return with this song?
Amy Shark: I knew this was the single from the second I heard those pizzicato strings. The song came together very quickly and effortlessly, which is always a great sign. It had that slick polished pop sound that I was hungry for. Absolute no-brainer.
Lyrically, a lot of this track takes on the imagery of a crush and the feelings surrounding that experience – but there’s a little more to that, isn’t there? Can you talk about the experience that led you to write this song, and what it means to you?
Amy Shark: I seem to gravitate towards the topic of unrequited love. I have had my heart shattered more than I care to remember but one of my best skills in my memory bank. I think as an artist you have to be able to remember everything, especially the heartbreak. It’s kind of fun turning a very painful experience into a piece of art that you hear when you walk into a 7/11 on the radio, LOL!
“Everybody rise for you, everybody cries like I do,” you sing in the chorus. What do you hope listeners feel when they hear these words, and feel the weight of this music?
Amy Shark: I hope they can relate, but most importantly I want everyone to remember they are not alone. We live in such a weird world that is filled with worship culture, and I feel like the lines get very warped between lovers, friends and even fans and artists.
No doubt you’ve been doing a lot of writing in the years since Love Monster. What have you learned about yourself over this time, and how do you feel you’ve been growing musically? Do you think “Everybody Rise” shows some of that growth?
Amy Shark: There is so much confidence and growth when you compare “Everybody Rise’ to Love Monster. Not just songwriting but the sound and the structure, all the little elements that make a great song are magnified one thousand percent in this new era of Amy Shark.
Can we expect to hear from you on a more frequent basis as we get into 2020’s second half?
Amy Shark: MOST DEFINITELY.
Thank you so much for your time, Amy! Lastly, who else are you listening to right now that you would recommend to our readers?
Amy Shark: I usually stick to the classics like Amy Winehouse and The War on Drugs but I am loving Powfu right now.
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:: stream/purchase “Everybody Rise” here ::
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