Fame can be a real bastard. You get what you give was a mammoth hit for New Radicals, and it wasn’t without its controversy. Marylin Manson famously said he would punch Gregg Alexander, and the ubiquitous nature of the track worked against the other breakout tracks that Maybe you’ve been brainwashed too, their debut album, had.

Still, I got the album about 3 years after their hey day. It was at charity shop, cheap as chips and I was curious about what else was on their repertoire. I wasn’t impressed at first, but the songs had an earworm nature to them. Pin it on Alexander, who’s got a great ear for a tune and as a composer, he’s pretty much unstoppable.

I know a few people who are actually fond of New Radicals and I’m lucky to have them in my life. I don’t know if there’s a correlation, but both of these persons are extremely trustworthy and have always had my back in the worst of times, and celebrated the best of times.

Someday we’ll know is a break up ballad at its most basic analysis, but there’s more to it than it seems. It’s about acceptance, hidden between an avalanche of  simple analogies. Add the understated sadness, the vocal delivery of the track’s title and you’ve got a wonderful track. It works so great and it’s a real shame New Radicals are known more for a catchy hit than for this heartfelt ditty. It should go into several playlists, and hopefully I’ll get a reappreciation, just like Blind Melon had around 2008.

On that weird summer of 2018, my friend Lili -one of the few New Radicals fans I know- invited me over to hang at the Bole Hills. The summer of 2018 had this massive heatwave that felt uncharacteristic, and I think many things that happened that summer could be categorised as such. Lili pulled her weight giving great advice and I bought her a copy of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Lili’s a good listener and we sat for a good hour or so under the sun, reading, taking photos, just relaxing, then going for a cold pint at The Cobden View, her local. I just had a few days left in Sheffield and the next day I had a meeting that decided many things in my life. I needed advice, and Lili did that.

I haven’t thought about that day and we heard a lot of music at The Cobden View. We then went to The York and meet James Pennock, who collaborated at Sloucher as Brother Gorillaman. He was on a great mood, laughing, telling a few stories, keeping the mood up. We hummed to The War on Drugs’ Red Eyes and called it a night. I walked Lili back home, then thumbed my way back to Graves park to Joe and Lu’s gaff. I slid through, trying not to wake anyone, and just looked at the Waxing Gibbous moon. Tomorrow would be an important day. You can say that every day. Not everyday can you accept that you just weren’t someone’s significant other. And that’s ok.

-Sam J. Valdés López