Working independently from a home studio in Ealing, England, 50mething takes a fiercely DIY approach to making music, handling the creative and production process alone before outsourcing the final mixing and mastering. Inspired by the musicianship and inventive spirit of Prince and Stevie Wonder, the artist brings that independent outlook to “Make Us Pay For It,” a pointed single that turns its attention to the food industry’s questionable relationship with consumer health.
Musically, the track has an immediately catchy groove, built around a pumping rhythm that keeps thumping steadily beneath a melodic electric guitar riff. Over the top, 50mething delivers the lyrics with his voice singing with a subtle tension with which he takes his time through the lines. That measured delivery adds a sense of frustration and urgency, as though the artist is carefully laying out an accusation and wants every word to land.
“Make Us Pay For It” challenges the food industry’s use of excessive sugar, salt, and additives to encourage overconsumption, questioning a business model that can put profit ahead of public wellbeing. The song also turns its attention to the longer-term consequences of poor nutrition, from chronic illness to the financial pressures placed on healthcare systems. It asks who ultimately benefits when preventable health problems become a costly part of everyday life.
What makes the single interesting is the way it packages this social criticism in an accessible, groove-led arrangement. 50mething’s “Make Us Pay For It” is an independent artist using a homemade creative setup to make a distinctly pointed statement, and refusing to keep quiet about what he sees as a deeply troubling issue.
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Review by: Naomi Joan