"Wonderful Everyday" ('Arthur' Theme Song)- Chance the Rapper

(From: Freshness Mag)

Even when Chicago spitballer Chance the Rapper is at his most crushingly bleak, discussing the personal hell of a lonely night eating days-old pizza or the horrifying rise in shootings when summer hits, there's unmistakable beauty in his work. Chance's way of phrasing, "It just got warm out, this the s*** I've been warned about," combined with his inimitable squawk, tugs at your heartstrings. I'll freely admit when I was in Chicago in the middle of the month, I was tearing up as the aforementioned "Paranoia" drifted out of my car speakers. It wasn't just crushing sadness causing it; there was an odd element of joy. It's clear he had seen the worst in people, but still he managed to care for them. Hearing someone remain strong essentially made me weak.

The joy in Chance the Rapper's "Wonderful Everyday," a reworking of the Arthur theme song "Believe in Yourself," isn't hidden at all. From the stately piano keys that open the track to the initial cymbal washes and Chance whispering "it could be wonderful every day," joy abounds in this take on the Ziggy Marley original. Chance has been performing the familiar tune live for a few months now, but the release of the studio track renders prior versions obsolete. Now he's got a phalanx of vocalists from Wyclef Jean to Jessie Ware and Elle Varner to back him up. They closely follow him "walking down the street," and finish the messages that come from the heart. And then, as if climbing a rainbow, the entire group lifts their voices up in dazzling unison to "work and play." Drums pound and horns bellow without raining on the parade one bit. Nothing can hold something so heartfelt back.



Chance the Rapper is playing a hometown set at Lollapalooza on August 3, which you can see here.