ALTED Records
Release Date: February 16th 2024
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Delta Goodrem – Hearts On the Run – Single (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Hearts On The Run
Delta Goodrem is synonymous with Australian music in the modern era (post-2000). She’s been in the music industry for more than 20 years (she unveiled her first studio album Innocent Eyes way back in 2003 when she was 18), and she’s actually becoming one of my favourite Australian artists…ever. She’s been entrenched in Australian culture for ages, her impact and influence on Australian music is huge, and as I’ve been listening to her music throughout the years (more so on a regular basis ever since her 2016 album Wings of the World); I’ve been noticing this one thing- that God doesn’t really care what type of music He uses for people to understand more about themselves and more about Himself in the process- if He chooses to convey His love for creation through a Skillet song, a Chris Tomlin song or even a Delta Goodrem song, then who are we, mere humans, to question anything that He does? Delta’s music has been encouraging, impactful, and dare I say, God-breathed at times- her songs like ‘Born to Try’, ‘Believe Again’, ‘In this Life’, ‘Enough’, ‘Sitting on Top of the World’, ‘Mistaken Identity’, ‘Together We are One’, and more recently, songs like ‘Keep Climbing’, ‘Paralysed’, ‘The Power’ and ‘Play’; are all testaments of the inspirational influence that Delta has in her music, even possibly without knowing it herself. As I’ve continued to embark along the road of understanding that ‘mainstream’ music isn’t as ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ as I was even led to believe, I find myself being more open to whatever the Lord has in store for me- be it a worship song, a hard rock song, or even a song from an Aussie artist, that can deliver similar punches and remind us all of our desperate need for something bigger than ourselves to sustain us in this life that we lead.
Enter in Delta Goodrem, who I can boldly say I am a fan of. Her most recent album Bridge Over Troubled Dreams released May 14th 2021 (the review of it can be viewed here); and predating the album release, Delta unveiled to us 5 pre-release tracks- ‘Keep Climbing’, ‘Paralyzed’ and ‘Solid Gold’ all released in 2020, and ‘Billionaire’ and ‘All of My Friends’ came out earlier in 2021. And as I have said time and time again these past few years, I’ve come to realise, that if we limit the music in which we believe God can speak to us through, then we really don’t know God and what He really can do…I know, controversial to some, but it’s the truth. And I’m understanding more and more each day, that the God who raised Jesus from the grave, is the same God who can speak through a music genre, or a music style, that may be different from what we as Christians are used and accustomed to. And maybe, just maybe, that’s ok.
For songs can bear the message and meaning of one thing, and when someone hears it, they can attach their own personal meaning to it too. Which is the beauty of why music is such a universal language and a great avenue and vessel to be used by the Lord to speak to people in various different walks of life. Bridge Over Troubled Dreams released in 2021 to much success and critical acclaim. Fast-forward a few years, and Delta once again released new music in August 2023- with much anticipation, expectation and excitement, ‘Back To Your Heart’ was unveiled under the newly created independent label ATLED Records. Now in February 2024, we see another song come to fruition- ‘Hearts On The Run’.
‘…I wrote ‘Hearts on the Run’ as a message that it’s possible to tap into an unyielding positivity. I wanted to create a high energy feeling with so much momentum, that you can’t help but run. That feeling when you’re in the middle of a marathon, when your legs ache, when your breath is running out, and you question how much further you can go. It’s precisely in that moment that the song insists you can go further, driven by a combination of love and an unbreakable spirit. The song urges you to discover what you’re truly made of by pushing your own boundaries. This song was made to make me run! Your heart is on the run!…’ Delta’s new song is indeed 1980s inspired, and it is indeed a great ‘BOP’ and a ‘banger’ (as per what Generation Z would say about a song, these days), if ever there was one. Standing at a super-short 3:11, what it ‘lacks’ in terms of song length, it makes up for in terms of beat, joyfulness, heart, fearlessness, enthusiasm, and passion; and a message that encourages us to run forward, towards our goals and to press on with a sense of resilience and tenacity as we face the future with hope and anticipation. A song that can hopefully allow us to keep running if and when we don’t feel as if we have what we ought to give, and to run and press forward when we feel as though we don’t have anything left. The song longs for us to run with everything we have, to go the extra mile and to hopefully run with purpose as we stop allowing life, circumstance and situations dictate how long we ought to ‘run’ for and how farther we believe we can go. ‘Hearts On The Run’ gives us permission to run to defy the critics and haters, run to prove to ourselves, and just run because we know that by running, we are closer and closer to where we know we should be, and where we know God wants us to be.
Delta’s music still has relevance for people today, even though her most chart-topping album is still her debut in 2003. Delta’s music is a joy to listen to, ‘Back to Your Heart’ and ‘Hearts On the Run’ inclusive, and these new songs are a must-listen; especially if you have been a fan of Delta’s music in the past, or even other artists like Tina Arena, Vanessa Amorosi or Guy Sebastian. If the next new songs from Delta that unveil and release in the near future (later this year) is anything like these last two songs (‘Back To Your Heart’ and ‘Hearts On the Run’), then her new album would be surely one to be quietly excited for. Well done Delta for such a compelling new song. Looking forward to the new album, whenever that arises in the future.
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Vanessa Amorosi, Tina Arena, Samantha Jade, Guy Sebastian, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Jessica Mauboy