Alan Chang - Check Please (2023) [Hi-Res]

Long-time musical director turned solo artist, Alan Chang, has released his latest single, “Natalie Explain”. The laid-back track features a swinging drumbeat, captivating piano track, haunting sax solo and mesmerizing lead vocals mixed over dulcet female vocal harmonies. Told from the perspective of a man buying into his imagination, the single recounts the common unrequited love trope from the side of the beloved. “Natalie Explain” is available to stream now on all music platforms.

In “Natalie Explain”, Chang details the delusional implication that his woman of interest is more in love with him than she is. The track emerged from a songwriting exercise Chang took on as a challenge where a specific person's name is used, rather than from an autobiographical story of the jazz artist's life. Although the story is primarily a tale of fiction, lyrics such as, “take all the space you need” and “tell me what we're doing here, can we be defined?” generates an impactful sense of misinterpretation as Chang plays heavily into the role of a confused romantic. The song also features a stellar backing track with saxophone credits due to smooth jazz instrumentalist Dave Koz, whose decades-long career has yielded accreditations to Cory Wong from Vulfpeck and other collaborations. With a compelling narrative of unrealistic romance, accompanied by masterful production, “Natalie Explain” is a new stretch for Alan Chang's extraordinary creativity. Philip Etherington (Lizzy McAlpine and Tiny Habits) produced and mixed the track.

Alan Chang's passion for music began at age six with his mother's push to learn the piano. At thirteen, he became infatuated with jazz music and curated his own unique sound that draws influence from pianist Erroll Garner (specifically his 'block chord right-hand' style of playing), rock trio Ben Folds Five, and Elliott Smith. Over the span of twenty years, Chang has built a fruitful career for himself in the music industry. With co-writing credits on some of Michael Buble's biggest hits as his former musical director, and multiple years touring alongside the Canuck crooner under his belt, this rising jazz creative is making bigger moves for himself on his own. Check Please, Chang's debut solo album set to release in Spring includes the debut single “Love As A Weapon” which is generating a lot of interest and praise from publications such as CelebMix, Wonderland, EARMILK, and many more.

Driven by multiple talented forces, “Natalie Explain” is a testament to the idea of “feeding your delusions” as Chang masterfully articulates the thought process behind this character's imaginary two-sided romance. With exciting vocals, stunning instrumentation, and poignant lyrics, the track is just the beginning of this new experimental period for Alan Chang.