Cherry Flavored, the rejuvenated gem of The Neighbourhood.

The Neighbourhood has maintained a steady fanbase for the people that support their songs and any new creations that they put out.

I became a fan of The Neighbourhood very late in the game, and I do enjoy the songs but I did feel there was a bit of a faltering in some of their albums for the past couple of years. I didn't vibe with some of the new songs they put out in the last album. They have been able to create unique concepts for songs like Female Robbery, Afraid, Staying Up, Wires, and my personal favorite, Single. Most bands play the same tunes, but they have been able to make a slight twist of their sound to maintain their identity of a smooth sound with sketchy vibes or somber vibes. The last album, I caught some pieces of the songs they put out, and it just didn't feel the same, it felt stale and I wanted to hear something steady and smooth like they usually do.

When I saw that they released a new song I was intrigued to see something new and all I saw was the thumbnail with an animation sample which is a first to see from them. I saw this as a new form of showcasing their song. Usually, their music videos are in black and white because of the lead singer's color blindness, hence why all of the music videos are in black and white, we see what he sees.

I opted to wait a little bit longer after the week of the release to get a chance to sit and actually listen to it. I wanted to be able to enjoy what would be a new chapter for this band.

While I was getting my books and pencils ready to begin working on my next book, I selected the YouTube app on my TV so it could feel like a feature presentation of a movie. I wanted to be able to take it all in and listen to it without my scratchy speakers on my laptop.

As I sat there watching the music video and listening to the song, I was not disappointed, This really does feel like a renewed spark for The Neighbourhood, to hear a song that still feels like Sweater Weather, but it’s not Sweater Weather. It almost feels like a sequel to Sweater Weather. I say that because of the fact that Sweater Weather was a Summer anthem of 2012/2013. Now in 2020, we have Cherry Flavored for a new Summer anthem.

This is the song that most of The Neighbourhood fans have been waiting for. Looking at the comments, people have been praising the new style and fresh sound with the same identity that they haven't lost, just lyrically matured with the usual melancholic soothing lyrics.

This song, I would say is like a combination of Sweater Weather and Single mixed together. It has that same easy breezy vibe that you can listen to when you’re driving a car while, having that harmonic singing from Jesse Rutherford with a smooth rhythm to sway to in-between the chorus.

The next day, I couldn’t stop listening to it, I played this new musical gem in the car ride as I drove down the busy blvds. Even in my own tiny little Nissan Cube, I felt like I was in my own little world, just sitting in my car at the stop light to sway to the music. I felt the world was at peace around me for just one moment in our hectic status of the 2020.

I love the fact that the music video was comprised of 90s nostalgia with the old-school Nickelodeon icon in the corner. The animation felt like it was one giant homage, I could see some animations that were reminiscent of: Ren & Stimpy, Hey Arnold! , Rocco’s Modern World. I found it to be commendable, that they would make a reference to the current, serious situations of Black Lives Matter to show that they are supportive of what’s going on with the world. The whole music video was very enjoyable and a nice venture into seeing their new chapter of what they want to do for music as well as music videos . It was a nice blast from the past while also getting a new breath of fresh air with a new song from The Neighbourhood.

The opening to the music video where the animated version of the lead singer Jesse Rutherford, is getting ready it almost reminded me of the opening scene to Grease where the titular characters are getting ready. It was a nice touch to see some of the concert posters based off of their brand in the bedroom, that was a unique way of referencing themselves.

I was in the process of buying this song and I went to go look it up on iTunes and I found that it’s a part of an album that has not been fully released.

It almost feels like this song is technically a teaser considering this is the sixth installment of their album that hasn’t been released yet and will get a release date in September. It had me considering to stall on buying the song in case there’s something else that we’re going to be given by the band. What else do they have in store for us? If this is the first song to be released and it has been received well, then what other gems are they going to be releasing?

This was a great way to introduce their new album, Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones. Having something that was still their unique lyrics and smooth sounds, but it feels different. I can't put my finger on it but it just feels different.

Cherry flavored came at a perfect time, I have a song for the rest of my summer. and a song to soothe my soul.

The unexpected musical gem, Cherry Flavored, might just be the song that could really put The Neighbourhood back on the map.