If you are not on this side of TikTok, I need to warn you that I am not responsible for turning your For You page into this kind of content. I interacted with ONE video, and it’s overrunning my whole feed.
But at least this take emerged from it all, so I’m trying to look at this through a glass-half-full lens.
The other day, my TikTok feed started to be taken over with a snippet of an unreleased song by Brendan Abernathy. To be honest, I’ve never heard of the guy, but after listening to a few of his songs, he gives the same vibe as The Lumineers or Johnnyswim. He’s a very pop/folk-sounding artist, which explains why he’s not on my radar. While some of his songs are a bop, one of his unreleased tunes, “Married In The Suburbs,” is taking over my TikTok feed, but not necessarily because it’s a heater.
After a show in Los Angeles, some of Abernathy’s fans gathered in the parking lot, and he came and sang a few extra songs, one of which was “Married In The Suburbs.” The clip that he shared of the tune is the very last lines of the chorus, where he screams the lyrics before whispering the last few words.
Don’t believe me? Watch it for yourself.
@brendanabernathyi love this moment where i get to share my most vulnerable songs at each show. just me and the crowd. this one is called “married in a year,” and i think it’s about comparing myself with everyone.♬ married in a year. presave in bio – brendan abernathy
While I’m not sure that’s the portion of the song that I would have posted for a single’s debut, it’s taking off on social media. But more so for the theatrics of the viral clip instead of social media raving about the song. Many people are recreating the clip, mocking him for standing on his tippy toes as he belts out the lyrics.
@carterd88 You’ll be MaAaRrRieDdD in a year in the suburbs 🏡 #footwork #song #marriage #remake ♬ married in a year. presave in bio – brendan abernathy
However, one video that came across my feed from all of the recreations of this moment is a hot take that might not be all that hot. A stand-up comic named Ryan Goldsher shared a solution for how to make this song…well, good. He thinks it needs to be sung as a country ditty and gives a few examples of artists who should sing it.
“Here’s the problem with that suburbs song. It’s actually a country song.”
He then pulls out spot-on Eric Church and Luke Bryan impressions, delivering a line or two in their respective tones. He rounds it out with how he thinks Chris Stapleton would sound singing it, which is not his best, but we will let that one slide, given how good the first two impressions were.
@ryangoldsher Kid on the way in 3 #country #ericchurch #impressions #chrisstapleton #lukebryan ♬ original sound – Ryan Goldsher
I think the reason the original version is turning so many people off from the song is how he delivers the lyrics. While you can hear the passion behind his delivery, it feels a little too forced, and oh my, it scares listeners off. This comedian perfectly displays through his various impressions that the lyrics can still pack a punch with a much more welcoming tone of delivery and with the correct support from the acoustic guitar.
If Eric Church released this song, I’d buy every line of the lyrics: He is some wild child who left a relationship to find himself, and his past lover is in a relationship that does not fulfill her.
I’m usually not an advocate for reading the comments, but I hope Brendan Abernathy does before putting out this song to hear the cries from viewers that he needs to tone it down. Or maybe he will stumble upon this blog and take a little feedback.
