“THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGED: On the 20th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, Missouri Baptist University Faculty and… Make sure to look out for more student life events in the future!… Up All Night is one of MBU’s most beloved events. “Magic” takes the listener through the emotions of life, emphasizing topics like growing up, traveling, love and finding out who you are, which I think is a unique and interesting approach to an Congratulations to the 2022 Conference Champions ht… In a way, I think he is reflecting on his life choices and how his decisions made an impact on who he has become. In this track, Rector sings about who he is coming to terms with in his life and finding peace in everything that has happened to him. “Peace” made me think differently than the rest of the album. “Green” takes a mellower approach to describe various sights seen through traveling, with effective guitar picking and soft vocals. “Drive” is a fast-paced and upbeat song that makes listeners eager to travel, with its quick drum beats and tempo changes from verses to choruses adding to the excitement. Rector obviously thinks that travel is an important part of a fulfilling lifestyle in his songs “Drive” and “Green.” “Sometimes” is written about an old flame, while “Boxes” takes a different approach as it reflects on old friendships. On the other hand, Rector also sings about lost relationships. “Duo” emphasizes the beat of an acoustic sounding drum different from the strumming of an electric guitar in “Over and Over” and the low keyboard chords in “Wherever You Are.”

Each of these songs has the same theme, yet the musicality of each is totally different. Going along with this idea, the songs “Duo,” “Over and Over” and “Wherever You Are” show the importance of being there for your partner, no matter what. “I Will Always Be Yours” and “Love Like This” reflect the stages of love throughout life. While the songs could be taken as a current love, they also refer back to the love people encounter and feel when growing up. The effect of friendship is greatly emphasized within these songs as he sings about their importance, illustrated in the songs, “Old Friends” and “Kids.”Īnother idea he sings about is love. Rector sings about how relationships affect a person when they grow up. I think it’s included because almost everyone you meet in life will have a unique sparkle. The soft notes of the piano make the song feel relaxed. “Extraordinary Magic” is a simple song, holding the sweet message that people have a unique and almost magical glow within them that only people from an outside perspective can see. “Magic” songs are presented in a sequence that begins with reflections on childhood and continues through themes of growing up until Rector reaches his current love: his wife. While themes can be associated with different songs on the track, the order to the album has a huge effect on the listener. And one way Rector emphasizes this point is through the musical contrast between songs and the way he establishes the chorus from the verses in his songs. Many times, it holds the meaning of growing up and the aspects of life within that. Throughout the album, Rector emphasizes a clear theme of reflectiveness.Įach track holds some sort of perspective on life. He released his first album in 2008 when he was 20 and his most recent single, “It Would Be You,” was released in 2020, when he was 33.Įven though “Magic” was released in 2018, the songs can often be heard playing as the background music of our lives, whether through the overhead speakers in grocery stores or quietly filling the silence of our very own campus coffee shop. Rector is a singer-songwriter who plays a mix of pop and folk and often relates it back to his own life and family. I decided to break one of my favorite albums out of the dungeon, “Magic” by Ben Rector, after I noticed myself humming along to the older songs playing softly in the background of the Perk. However, it wasn't until he studied at the University of Arkansas that he began.

In 2022, he further displayed his broad stylistic reach collaborating with artists like Snoop Dogg, Kenny G, and Dawes' Taylor Goldsmith on The Joy of Music.īorn in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1986, he studied piano while he was growing up and, by his teens, he was also singing, playing guitar, and writing his own music.

He has continued to enjoy chart success, consecutively topping Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums chart with 2015's Brand New and 2018's Magic. Following early indie buzz for albums like 2010's Into the Morning and 2011's Something Like This, Rector gained wider attention with 2013's The Walking in Between, which reached number 16 on the Billboard 200. Nashville-based singer/songwriter Ben Rector makes passionate and melodic, piano-driven pop.

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