A smooth success incorporating poppy synths with mellow guitar-laden touches, “Hey Maria” is a track from Ecuadorian-American singer/songwriter Sara Ontaneda, based in NYC. The “been trying to tell you, defend you,” vocal hook plays with smooth retrospection, as lush synths sit comfortably alongside serene guitars. The percussion-less bridge around 03:20 does great in showing powerful, ardent vocals and the production’s atmospheric charm. “Hey Maria” certainly shows Ontaneda as a talented artist with pop savvy.
The track’s thematic inspiration came when Ontaneda visited her family in Ecuador and the TV was on, with a news program showing statistics regarding violence against women in Latin America and around the world. The track touches upon the singer’s realization of the frequency in which times women are judged unfairly when getting into these situations.
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“Hey Maria” and other memorable tracks released in August can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of August 2019’ Spotify playlist.
