The prominent British YouTuber James Marriott is not best known for his music. That’s why “Him” was so surprising. James’s previous song, “Slow Down”, didn’t resonate with me, and neither does the rest of his new album. Him stands out for its energy and passion.

Him tells a story of James being jealous of a man whom a former love interest has chosen over him. Despite the weakness of many of the lyrics, some stellar lines carry the song. For example, the chorus is excellent. It artfully depicts both a specific scene that haunts James and his general emotions about the guy.

Choosing to focus on the man who replaced him, rather than his ex, was a stroke of genius from James. It gives an insight into his personality and mental state. The man was a persistent threat to James’s relationship: James knew it would be him, but didn’t know why. He feels inadequate. He still has some feelings for the woman that seep through, but his pain overshadows these feelings.

The bridge is the other standout choice. The choice to repeat the quatrain works very well, and the accompanying music brings out the best in the lyrics. The repeated quatrain positions James to be in one of two places: either he is painfully desperate to get some answers, or he knows the answers and cannot accept them. The clear pause between the lines separates one of the sentences into two distinct parts. It seems like he is almost struggling to speak: further evidence towards his desperation.

Musically, James has done very well to avoid being monotonous. He went for a sound that makes this a challenge, and he has pulled it off well. The lyrics aren’t the best, and the music more than makes up for it.

Him is a good song. I hope that it is a taster of what else we can expect from him, rather than a one-off hit.