While I was introduced to Marian Hill by way of the Apple commercial for the very first time, millions of other people were also. Their name derives from two characters Marian Paroo and Harold Hill from The Music Man musical. “ACT ONE” is an album to watch for it might break the scene in 2017 as Marian Hill is exposed to a broader audience. Marian Hill is an American songwriting duo (Production artist: Jeremy Lloyd & Vocalist: Samantha Gongol) from Philadelphia. It’s evident that Marian Hill knows who they are as artists just from this fresh debut album. “I Want You” shuts down the album with a clap pop and fun bubblelicious song.
The emotions run-in of “Same Thing” allows listeners to hear the soft side of Gongol. “Mistaken,” includes vocals from Steve Davit and it is reminiscent of the beginning of Gwen Stefani’s pop smash hit, “Hollaback Girl.” “Sad Song” is not really a sad song but a fierce track. “Thinking” absolutely gave me a mix of Lana Del Rey and Yuna making a baby with this magic wonder. Marian Hill is a composer, known for Jem and the Holograms (2015), Santa Clarita Diet (2017) and Deception (2018).
“Good” is a feel-good song for when someone is feeling like themselves as they check themselves in a mirror before going out with their friends on a Friday night. Marian Hill, Soundtrack: Jem and the Holograms. The echo in Gongol’s voice grasps onto the rhythm of the soft beat. The ballad of the album, “I Know Why,” shows the chemistry between Gongol and Lloyd in their creative world. “Take Your Time” was a pretty weak track as it brings a promiscuous side to the duo. In the following track, Marian Hill gets more personal with a light bubble pop song called, “Bout You.” “Wild” spices things up with sounds made using the mouth and hands reminiscent of the “Cups” song by Anna Kendrick used in Pitch Perfect but with an electro makeover. “Talk To Me” has a faster rhythm due to horns blasting and the jazz-influenced vibe in it. It has a piano melody, a beat drop mid-song and electro sass to the chorus. The entire album has influences from electronic music. Throughout 2016, Marian Hill released singles leading up to their debut album “ACT ONE.” The album, which was released in June, hadn’t been noticed until now. Inspired by the musical “The Music Man,” the duo got their name by combining the first name and last name of two of the characters: Marian Paroo and Harold Hill. Marian Hill comprises vocalist Samantha Gongol and production artist Jeremy Lloyd. Marian Hill, an electropop duo from Philadelphia, is taking over the mainstream scene with their radio smash hit, “Down.”