[johnjimbc]

For anyone who isn't quite sure they like this song, I encourage you to give it a few listens first. Then just let it distill a bit in your head. Then listen to it again later.

It's a really excellent Olympic Theme Song.

The best thing about it is Sarah did what she does best, in my opinion, which is to write to an individual. This is an athlete's song. If you listen to the lyrics, she is writing to a person who is an athlete who made it to the Olympics, like a gift to them. It's inclusive. And while it's common these days to put off such sentiments as cheesy, which is sad, she talks about how it doesn't matter where the person is from they share a common dream which is what led them to the moment.

As normal, she has fun with the words. "At peace with gravity" is a great line to include in a song related to winter sports. I can almost imagine her talking to winter sport athletes to get a sense of what they love about it, and what feels right when things are going well.

As for her as an artist, she's sort of in the magic zone I think. She still appeals to a young audience, but there are many middle aged people who love her music. And she has an appeal to older audiences as well. Nelly Furtado can do a great Olympic youth theme, but we're talking about a world-wide audience here. I think she would come off a little hip-hoppy for the older couple at home watching kids just a bit older than their grandchildren walking into the stadium.

And as for the song itself, as I mentioned and others have mentioned, the music for the song is very adaptable to strengthening the sound through tempo, instrumentation, voice, etc, for a bolder presentation. Yet it does work as the "moment in the spotlight" softer note as well.

And she is a daughter of Vancouver so is the perfect emissary to the rest of the world.

It's a really excellent choice all around. I'd give it a rock solid A, and probably an A+ by the time I see it in the glory of an opening ceremony. Even folks for whom this isn't their taste at all - everyone is different - would probably have to admit it's pretty good as these things go.

That's my take anyway, hearing it again after a couple of listens yesterday and thinking about the lyrics when I listened again just now.