**The author of this article is acquainted with Austin McKinney.**
Sometimes, an artist creates a song that, to them, is just another release to join their discography. Of course, the song may be important and meaningful to the artist, but its impact doesn’t always translate over to listeners. However, sometimes that song unintentionally clicks and resonates with audiences in a special way. ‘Go Wide‘ happens to be that song for midwestern artist Austin McKinney.
‘Go Wide’ is a guitar–pop track with a subtle dream-pop aesthetic. Overall, the soundscape is like a warm midsummer’s day within a tall grass meadow. It’s an atmosphere full of washed colors, similar to when a Polaroid picture gets wet. The song emits a strong feel-good vibe while maintaining a consistent sad undertone. “Bittersweet” is the perfect term for describing ‘Go Wide’.
Austin’s reverb-washed vocals are intoxicating and are the song’s defining element. His vocal stacks, backing vocals, and ad-libs culminate into a blurry bliss of sound that cascades over the listener. The song’s crisp drums, beautiful bassline, and guitars complement Austin’s vocals to make a fantastic song.
‘Go Wide’ Analysis
‘Go Wide’ begins with a guitar riff that beautifully sets the tone for the rest of the song. There’s magic in the guitar’s simple melody. Again, the bittersweet feel begins to well up within the track. The way the notes ascend more than they descend lifts the listener. However, the slow-playing arpeggio is of a minor chord and provides a subtle, solemn feel. It’s happy, it’s sad, it’s hopeful.
Backing guitars join in to accent the main riff before Austin sings the chorus. “Go Wide” – what does it mean? Before learning the lyrics, I assumed the lyrics were solely related to football, where Austin is throwing a “Hail Mary” pass, or prayer, with the hope that his former love receives his words.
The bass mostly plays two sustained and repeating notes like a slow metronome. These notes also serve as the root notes of the guitar’s arpeggio. Together, the sounds marry to form a pleasant and swinging harmony. There’s something peaceful and enjoyable about the slow harmony. Its movement is contagious, and I find myself swaying back and forth to the beat.
Austin finishes the chorus off by singing “go wide….eyed” as his words trail off. Learning these lyrics slightly shifted my understanding of the song. Until discovering the lyrics on his SoundCloud page, I believed he was singing “Go wi-ide” (why-id). Why is he telling his former love to go “wide-eyed?” Is it because he wants her to see the situation better? Does he expect her to be surprised or stunned by his words? The rest of the lyrics don’t seem to allude to provide a deeper context. Perhaps this is something that Austin is keeping to himself.
Then the song enters its verse as Austin sings “I tried, and tried…” with a powerful vocal performance. It’s not powerful in the sense of the strength in his voice; on the contrary, he’s singing softly. The power comes from his vocal inflections and how authentic the emotion comes across. He sounds tired, pained, and singing like he’s pleading, but only for a moment.
Austin briskly reverts to singing the rest of the short verse normally. With four short bars, the verse ends as quickly as it started, and he returns to the chorus. Interestingly, only one traditional verse exists in ‘Go Wide’, with the rest of it consisting mostly of the chorus. The song’s atypical structure looks like this:
Intro > Intro Chorus -> Verse -> Chorus -> Post Chorus -> Bridge -> Chorus -> Post Chorus -> Outro.
This is a song that’s full of its best bits, like a Most Stuf Oreo or Triple Whopper. Those who mostly enjoy choruses or EDM drops will greatly appreciate this song.
‘Go Wide’ ends with Austin repeating the line, “Why did I believe in you,” and slightly releases the listener from its hazy hold. This is a breakup song at its core, and Austin’s lyrics serve as an anchor to reality despite their airy feel.
The Misfires of ‘Go Wide’
For what it is, ‘Go Wide’ is practically perfect. However, it’s not without its issues. While the mastering is good, the song’s mix is fuzzy, and clarity is an issue. This could be a stylistic choice because of the song’s warm and dreamy aesthetic. As a consequence, it’s also difficult to understand a few of Austin’s words.
These flaws are minor issues and don’t take too much away from the song. The song’s mix quality is still above average, and not knowing some of the lyrics isn’t a deal breaker (for me at least). Moreover, people often mishear lyrics and sing along with the wrong words. I’ve done that to this song and had a lot of fun doing so.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love ‘Go Wide’ in both concept and sound, and it might be my favorite song since Austin changed his pseudonym to his real name. Its football motif is unique and clever, and I’m tickled by the idea of telling someone to “go wide” to catch your words and meaning. The song’s freeing, dreamy aesthetic feels warm and sunny, which beautifully contrasts with the serious nature of breakups.
It’s a feel-good song that resonates with me in a way I can’t explain, and I think it’ll resonate with other listeners too. ‘Go Wide’ is a great addition to anyone’s music library. It’s marvelous, captivating, and magical. Austin McKinney won the Heisman with this one.
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