Ikaika Kahoano wanted more than his allotted 15 minutes of fame. It wasn't enough that the 24-year-old Iolani School graduate became a member of the pre-fab boy band O-Town on ABC's "Making the Band" series back in March through May 2000. It was a group he would quit in disgust soon afterward, returning home to friends and family. The son of entertainers Kimo and Lynette Kahoano would soon form the group Ano with his younger brother Kamuela, with the encouragement of older brother Haku.
Ikaika Kahoano's return home would last all of three months. Without a warning to his family, he headed for New York City to hook up with two "Making the Band" finalists he befriended, Bryan Chan and Mike Miller, to make another go at a mainstream entertainment career. Jonas Persch rounds out the quartet dubbed LMNT (pronounced "element," a name picked from a Teen People-sponsored online contest).
Group members hope there's still enough gold to be mined from the * boy band phenomenon, and will find out soon enough as Tuesday marked the nationwide release of LMNT's debut album, "All Sides." In a couple of phone interviews with Kahoano from New York, once during a noisy album release party * Tuesday and a day later, he was candid about his life-changing experience. "When Bryan told me in March of last year that he wanted me to join him and Mike, I originally told him I didn't want it," he said. "I was still pretty bitter about the whole * O-Town experience. I just didn't get along with the other guys in that group. I didn't respect them both on a musical and personal level. There was just no love there. "Even though there was no trash talk between us, it was still just a wack, ugly situation. I'm cool with them now and wish them all the best, but at the time I had to get out."
LMNT started touring last summer and performed during last year's Hula Bowl halftime show. The group's initial single release, the pop confection "Juliet," spent eight consecutive weeks as the No. 1 song on * Radio Disney. It was written by Epicentre, a duo from Stockholm, Sweden, who, not surprisingly, has also worked with * *N Sync. (Note: This song and the album opener "Girl Crazy" are made to set prepubescent girls' hearts aflutter while giving this aging male a sudden case of diabetes. In defense of "Juliet," however, the accompanying video that can be accessed via CD-ROM drive made the tune more bearable with its cute and clever laundromat fantasy scenario, complete with a cameo from Jamie-Lynn Sigler of "The Sopranos," who shares the same manager as LMNT.)
Now LMNT and Kahoano's high tenor voice and photogenic looks will be featured on two summer tours this year, one for Radio Disney, the other as the opening act for * Britney Spears from June 20 to July 6, with 11 dates between the Midwest and Northeast Coast. WHEN KAHOANO came back home after the * O-Town fiasco, he found it was too late to re-enroll at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, where he had a year left in his biological studies en route to becoming a pediatrician. But being back didn't make him feel as good as he'd expected. "I now felt I didn't belong," he said. "I was looking for regular work, tutoring a bit, but individuals like me like a lot on their plate, and even though friends helped me get the odd job, Hawaii didn't feel like the place I was supposed to be in. "I felt I had no choice but to move back to the mainland after I called Bryan back and told him I wanted in. In fact, my family didn't even know I went back until I called my mom from New York City, telling her of my decision. While my parents were initially disappointed, they understood where I was coming from. "It took a couple of friends of mine, Eric and Chris, to set me "* straight". We were just sitting around on Lanikai Beach one day, talking, and they told me that my * O-Town experience was my 'in,' even though it ended up wack -- that I was the only one that could've done that stuff, and that, no matter how much they could've worked at being in show business, they didn't have the gift I was given. "They helped me realize that I have this God-given talent, even though my parents tried to push me away from the entertainment life they had -- not going to college, getting married right after high school and raising a family. And at first, even though I'd go with my dad to his gigs, I didn't look to pursue a career in entertainment. My parents wanted me to continue my schooling, but I had a taste for performing as early as high school, where my brother and I were in an a cappella group. "So I've surrendered and stopped fighting it. My friends have told me -- and I've come around to their way of thinking -- that I have a voice and a look, as well as the dance moves and good health, to pursue this career. And with my trust in God, I hope I can bring some light into this world with this group. "THE LONGEVITY of LMNT is dependent on the multiracial group (described by Kahoano as "humble individuals, not at all badasses or rock stars -- we're just four mama's boys!") gaining national airplay on radio stations that cater to an audience that's outgrown the * Radio Disney playlist.
To these ears, four of the 11 tracks on "All Sides" could help LMNT break out of teeny-bop mode. One of them is "Shangri La," produced and written by the Norwegian team Stargate (worked on hits for * S Club 7 and * Cher), which has a bit of a robotic, hip-hop feel to it. Another Stargate track, "Hold Me Down," sounds too much like a lightweight version of the kind of skittish, chopped-up rhythm work Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and *Timbaland have already mastered. "Keep It Coming," a contribution by L.A.'s Soulshock, who worked with * Mary J. Blige, 2Pac and Destiny's Child, takes a light, persistent approach Kahoano would like to work at. He said he also likes the tracks LMNT did with veteran New York session musician-producer Jimmy Bralower, who's also worked with the * Backstreet Boys. "Greatest Gift" and "It's Your Love" are two of the songs that are the closest in generating real emotion, thanks to the help of studio musicians. "It's just a matter of a series of doors breaking down in order to build up radio airplay that will help us in the long run," Kahoano said.
Hold Me Down
LMNT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby what you do to me
I can't deny it, try to hide, i really find it hard to sleep
Money can't buy me love
If it could I would spend it all
All that glitters ain't gold
Don't believe everything your told no no no
[Chorus]
Cause we could dance dance dance all night
I want to see your hands high
And if you feel me let me know oh oh
Cause we could dance dance dance all night
I want to see your hands high
We turn a bank into a crowd
Hold me down
Down, down oh hold me down
I've been waiting for it
Breathing of it
Now I want it to be real, again
Ready for you steady for you baby here we go again
Money can't buy me love
If it could I would spend it all
All that glitters ain't gold
Don't believe everything your told no no no
[Chorus]
[Repeat: x2]
Everybody at the front say what
Everybody at the side say what
Everybody in the back of the club ride with me ride with me
Money can't buy me love
If it could I would spend it all
All that glitters ain't gold
Don't believe everything your told no no no
[Chorus: x2]
[Repeat]
Baby hold me down, down down
The lyrics of LMNT's song "Hold Me Down" express the singer's feelings for someone he's been thinking and talking about. The singer confesses that he finds it hard to sleep when he tries to hide or deny his emotions. He emphasizes the idea that money can't buy the love he feels and warns against believing everything people tell. The song's chorus is an invitation to dance, with the singer wanting to see the crowd's hands high, which creates a sense of unity and intimacy. In other words, the song revolves around love, honesty, and the importance of real human connections.
The song's main message is universal and relatable to anyone who has experienced the struggle of expressing their inner thoughts to someone they care about. The lyrics' emotional charge is balanced with a catchy and upbeat melody, creating a danceable track that echoes the joy of expressing one's feelings openly. The chorus's repetition and the call-and-response element in the refrain also contribute to the song's danceability and the sense of belonging it seeks to create.
Overall, "Hold Me Down" is a song that balances lyrics' emotional depth with a catchy melody, creating a relatable and danceable track that encourages honesty and authenticity in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been thinking about you talking about you
I can't get you out of my head and I keep telling people about you
Baby what you do to me
You have a strong effect on me
I can't deny it, try to hide, i really find it hard to sleep
I can't ignore my feelings for you, even if I try to hide them, and they keep me up at night
Money can't buy me love
Love is priceless and can't be bought with money
If it could I would spend it all
If love could be bought with money, I would spend all that I have
All that glitters ain't gold
Things that look valuable or attractive may not actually hold true value
Don't believe everything your told no no no
Don't trust everything you hear without questioning it
Cause we could dance dance dance all night
Let's spend the night dancing
I want to see your hands high
I want everyone to raise their hands
And if you feel me let me know oh oh
If you understand me, show it
We turn a bank into a crowd
Together, we can make anything happen, even turn an empty space into a lively crowd
Hold me down
Support me and stay by my side
I've been waiting for it
I've been anticipating this moment for a while
Breathing of it
I can't stop thinking about it
Now I want it to be real, again
I want to experience this again and make it a reality
Ready for you steady for you baby here we go again
I'm prepared and committed to experiencing this with you again
Everybody at the front say what
Everyone at the front, make some noise
Everybody at the side say what
Everyone at the side, make some noise
Everybody in the back of the club ride with me ride with me
Even those in the back, join in and enjoy with me
Baby hold me down, down down
Darling, stay close to me and keep me grounded
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TONY MARIO DOFAT, RODNEY HILL, DYLAN LEE JOHN, LLOYD E. MATHIS, FREDDRICK WATSON, LYNESE NICOLE WILEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind