The Singles Jukebox

Prophecies continue to self-fulfill…

[Video]
[4.00]

Alfred Soto: “Coming next fall to ABC, a powerful drama about the conflicts that shape families…”
[0]

Thomas Inskeep: The music of “Maybe It’s OK” is very au courant, pop-rock with a few, soaring, EDM-lite touches — think Coldplay. It’s the song’s message that gets me. “Maybe it’s ok if I’m not ok/’Cause the One who holds the world is holding on to me/Maybe it’s all right if I’m not all right/’Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life,” goes the chorus, and lead singer Darren Mulligan imbues the words with enough emotion that you can tell he really means it. Which also means he’s been there, and that speaks volumes to me, as someone who often doesn’t feel “OK,” and, in fact, needs to know that that’s OK. “Maybe It’s OK” is a (new?) kind of Christian emo, not in musical sound (no screaming, certainly, or grinding guitars), but in emotional temperature and content. Mulligan openly admits in the song that he’s not 100% sure, but has faith — and that’s what Christianity, to me, comes down to. More than anything, I’m grateful for this song’s existence.
[10]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I thought Imagine Dragons were Christian enough by implication, tbh.
[3]

Will Adams: If there’s room for “I finally wanna be alive / I don’t wanna die today,” there’s room for “Maybe it’s okay / if I’m not okay.” There’s also room for this stock stadium-rock sound, especially when it dresses up its arrangement with additional flourishes like reversed piano and synth strings. The problem is Darren Mulligan’s vocal, all mangled vowels and swallowed falsetto, putting a damper on everything. If this is meant to be uplifting, why so dour?
[5]

Alex Clifton: If you’re going to write a song about God holding you up, the song ought to be sweeping and, well, uplifting. “Maybe It’s OK” hits less on the “sweeping” side for me and becomes more weirdly relentless with its sonic soundscape. It just keeps going and going but also pauses for breath in the oddest places (the end of the first chorus in particular is so jarring that I had to check my video wasn’t skipping). Minus an extra point because I’m irritated by the pronunciation of “rejaeycted.”
[3]

Ashley John: A lovely case where the title of the track explains the track itself. 
[3]