Lane's signature is the falsetto. In Lane's hands, mixing those earth-shattering high notes with banjo plucks and a danceable beat (whether that dancing is done in cowboy boots or Nike sneakers) has never felt more natural, or so unique. He may have some Girl Problems, as the title of his forthcoming debut album suggests, but he has no problem at all weaving a fresh sound that both thrills country fans and encourages pop faithfuls to dip a toe into his side of the Mason-Dixon.
After touring with Dustin Lynch, Kelsea Ballerini and Rascal Flatts, Lane has been making a name for himself as one of the genre's most groundbreaking new stars: his first single, "Fix," is bound for the top of the country radio charts and just passed both 20 million streams on Spotify and over 3.5 million views on Vevo, making waves for how effortlessly it blends progressive pop and that sultry falsetto with his country roots. It's a record-breaker, too: the song has accumulated the most first week single adds from a debut male artist in Country Aircheck history, all while drawing praise from the likes of Selena Gomez, Lucy Hale, Daughtry and more. Now, Lane's ready to share Girl Problems with the world, his much-anticipated debut LP produced by Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen) to be released by Big Loud Records on August 5th.
Originally from North Carolina but now residing in Nashville, Lane once thought his life was heading in an entirely different direction: an ace athlete, he played football and baseball until an injury sidelined him permanently. Looking for an outlet, he turned to the guitar – he'd always loved music growing up, and listened to everything from Garth Brooks and Usher to Justin Timberlake – and it quickly turned from a hobby into a downright passion. He started playing in a cover band and became a must-see act in town, all while starting to write his own songs, a talent that came unexpectedly easily.
"Once I got a taste of what it was like to be on stage," says Lane, "and more and more people came out to the shows, I thought, 'well, I should try and write my own music.' I sat down and wrote twelve songs. After that, it instantly felt like music was what I truly was supposed to be doing. I discovered a passion I never thought I could have."
Soon, Nashville came calling, and it wasn't before long that he found himself working with Moi, who was instantly drawn to his cutting-edge originality and ability to transcend genres. One day in the studio, Lane was singing an Usher song to himself while Moi was working behind the controls – including all of the high, falsetto notes that are impossible for most to even approach. And, suddenly, a light bulb went off: they realized they could integrate those vocal abilities into Lane's music in way that country had never quite done before. "I'm so glad we discovered that," says Lane. "It's out of the box for country music, and that's how I like to be."
Once Lane felt free to unleash those killer vocals, everything fell into place: it was the thread that laced together his diverse pop and country influences, and "Fix," written by Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure and Abe Stoklasa, was the first piece of that puzzle (and also the title of his debut EP). Girl Problems – named as an ode not only to the difficulties of romance but the beauty of learning from missteps and mistakes - takes the ride one step further, pushing even more boundaries, packing more surprises and, most of all, always remembering to make people dance or sing along. From the smooth, R&B vibe of "Who's It Gonna Be" that absolutely smashes with its infectious, eighties-pop infused chorus; to the twang disco of "All The Time"; to the mid-tempo "For Her," which Lane describes as his "Backstreet Boy" moment – if the Backstreet Boys played a little banjo – it's a contemporary ride from one exciting corner of the genre to the next, reinventing country with every octave.
"I love what Florida Georgia Line is doing, and what Sam Hunt has done," says Lane. "They have created something that was unique to country that nobody else had tried. That's how I strive to create music, too. To infuse so many different aspects and influences into one unique sound, that always pushes forward."
Florida Georgia Line, in fact, has been a mentor of sorts to Lane – they recognized his talent early on and took him on the road before anyone barely knew his name. It was a good gamble – audiences loved his high-energy, captivating performances, and other artists like Rascal Flatts snatched him up as a tourmate, too. Tireless on the road and always on all cylinders at every show, Lane attributes his work ethic to his years as an athlete.
"I guess I've gone from playing baseball in stadiums to singing in stadiums," Lane laughs. Either way, he's still hitting soaring homeruns.
Circles
Chris Lane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything you been pouring
Like the way it goes down
And I like the taste on your tongue
I'm gonna let you hold me
Even if it's just for now
I know where it's gonna go
You always love me in circles
You hurt me on purpose to come around again, come around again
You're so determined to break me
To say that you saved me
You come around again, come around again
I'm so mad about you I can't live without you
I love you, I need you Swear I'll never leave you
Lying here, next to you
I've never felt so perfect
Even if it's just for now
With paper hearts and kerosene
One word can spark a fire
You build it up and burn it down
Love has its rituals
We're so predictable
You always love me in circles
You hurt me on purpose to come around again, come around again
You're so determined to break me
To say that you saved me
You come around again, come around again
I'm so mad about you I can't live without you
I love you, I need you I swear I'll never leave you
I'm so mad about you I can't live without you
I love you, I need you I swear I'll never leave you
Love has its rituals
We're so predictable
You always love me in circles
You hurt me on purpose to come around again, come around again
You're so determined to break me
To say that you saved me
You come around again, come around again
I'm so mad about you I can't live without you
I love you, I need you I swear I'll never leave you
I'm so mad about you I can't live without you
I love you, I need you I swear I'll never leave you
The song "Circles" by Chris Lane is about being stuck in the same cycle with a toxic relationship. The singer knows that the person he loves is going to hurt him, but he can't help but love them anyway. He describes the relationship as being in circles, where they constantly hurt each other and then come back together again. The lyrics are a reflection of the complicated emotions that come with being in a toxic relationship, where you know it's not healthy but you can't seem to let go.
The first verse starts with the singer acknowledging the addiction he has to the other person. He likes the taste of alcohol that she pours for him and likes the taste on her tongue, but he knows that the relationship is going nowhere. He continues to describe how predictable she is with her actions of hurting him and then coming back around. In the chorus, he describes how she loves him in circles, where she hurts him only to come back around again. He also describes her as being determined to break him, even though she claims she's trying to save him.
In the second verse, the singer explains how he's lying next to her and feels perfect, even though he knows it's not going to last. He describes how love has rituals, and they are very predictable in the way they behave towards each other. In the bridge, he finally admits how mad he is about her and how he can't live without her. He swears he'll never leave her, even though he knows it's not healthy.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing here, drink it in
I'm savoring every moment with you.
Everything you been pouring
I'm taking in everything you're giving me.
Like the way it goes down
I love the way it feels.
And I like the taste on your tongue
I love the taste of you.
I'm gonna let you hold me
I'm giving myself to you.
Even if it's just for now
Even if it's temporary, I'm willing to be with you.
I know where it's gonna go
I know that we're going to repeat the same pattern.
You're so predictable
I know exactly what you're going to do.
Love has its rituals
Our love has a pattern we can't seem to break.
We're so predictable
We always end up following the same routine.
You always love me in circles
You keep loving me and hurting me, only to come back again.
You hurt me on purpose to come around again, come around again
You hurt me just so you can feel needed again.
You're so determined to break me
You keep trying to break me, just to put me back together again.
To say that you saved me
So you can feel like you've done something good for me.
I'm so mad about you I can't live without you
I'm angry and frustrated, but I can't help but love you.
I love you, I need you Swear I'll never leave you
I'm committed to you, no matter what.
Lying here, next to you
Being close to you feels so right.
I've never felt so perfect
I feel complete with you.
With paper hearts and kerosene
Our love is fragile and explosive.
One word can spark a fire
One small thing can set us off.
You build it up and burn it down
We keep building up our love, only to tear it down again.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: KEITH SMITH, STEPH JONES, JOEY MOI, EMILY WARREN, DANNY PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind