Asher Angel’s latest single ‘Guilty’ will get you smiling just in time for summer. From the acoustic guitar sounding off at the beginning, you'd know that this song is not going to be your classic pop ballad.

Asher is both confident and adorable from the get-go, and we expected nothing else from the former Disney actor. Blessed with both the voice of an angel and charms to die for, he’s going to blow you away with his charisma and vulnerability throughout the proceedings. 

The composition itself borrows from modern pop elements with a little bit of folk thrown in, and the chords come in hot and sharp from the first note. The chorus, in particular, is pulsing with a striking percussive arrangement and a familiar, touching melody that immediately grabs your attention. 

The most notable aspect of the tune, however, is the level of stylistic maturity shown by Asher and his producers. The production is kept tight and crisp, so we’re able to catch and absorb every single sound, beat or change in tempo that takes place. Vocally, Asher keeps it smooth; at certain points, he does reveal his knack for mastering those the soaring high notes but never gets carried away. For a song that’s about feeling guilty and experience regret in romantic relationships, the mood is kept upbeat and therefore the tune is more relatable for the audience. 

Many are inevitably going to be making comparisons to Shawn Mendes and even a fresh-faced Justin Bieber who broke out with a similar number ten years back, but bear in mind that he holds his own quite remarkable year. For a boy who’s not even eighteen, it’s an incredible entry to a body of a work that’s already marked by some high-profile projects. 

The song has secured spots on some telling playlists, including Apple’s Breaking Pop and Spotify’s New Music Friday. When asked about the inspiration behind the song, Asher said:

I’m so excited for my fans to hear ‘Guilty.’ While I haven’t experienced a relationship heartache quite like this, I know a lot of my fans have. When you’re in a relationship with someone you love, finding out that they would throw it all away over something so avoidable is completely heartbreaking. I know that it would break me! I hope they hear this song and can relate to it, and use it to hopefully get over a similar experience,”

  Pop 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.