Getting Above the Clouds: Andy Mineo’s “I: The Arrow”
After receiving unforeseen success as an independent artist projecting the feelings of others, Andy Mineo looks within on his newly released EP titled, I: The Arrow. Mineo bares all: discussing his recent struggles with self-acceptance, depression, anxiety and the overall feeling of not living up to his artistic potential. With an almost three-year hiatus from his previous solo project, Mineo provides a cathartic outlet to express his point of view.
The project is only the first of three EP’s or chapters that Mineo will release at undisclosed dates this year. After each “extended play” is released, an album will be the conclusion to the story that he is trying to tell.
This EP has a distinct contrast from Uncomfortable, Mineo’s last album that was released on Sept. 18, 2015. He tackles issues such as millennial arrogance (Track 1: Uncomfortable), isolation of an outsider (Track 4: Desperados), the constant/greedy chase for money (Track 7: Rat Race) and the discontent of two individuals in a broken relationship (Track 12: Strange Motions). As for The Arrow, Mineo has an inner confrontation with the flaws that he believes his holding him back from appreciating the success that he has attained.
He expands further on his struggles in the following video:
Track 1: “I’ve Been…”
After first realizing that he internally-battled with feelings of doubt, Mineo takes his time to fully understanding the gravity of the situation. This is the only track on the project that was given a music video. The track sets the mood for the preceding tracks: he is stuck in a funk and he’s trying to navigate his way through the malaise that he’s in.
Since this is his first opportunity to share what he’s been going through, Mineo doesn’t hide the lead, saying “I’ve been lost for some time.” By the track’s end, the listener knows that their is a problem that needs to be worked out and this EP will be the start of finding closure.
Track 2: “Clarity”
Mineo uses the assistance of one of his creative role models, author Madeleine L’Engle. L’Engle wrote the 1962 science fantasy novel, A Wrinkle in Time, (the book was adapted into a movie that was released in 2018.) Throughout the track, there are snippets of an interview with the author about infinite questions and her beliefs in God.
Mineo questions his own spiritual faith and wonders if his role models are worthy of his praise. The song’s title is an echo of what he wants: clarity in his career, clarity in his relationships with friends and clarity with his own psyche. The song itself represents the blurriness of his life by switching from a slow ballad to hard-hitting hip-hop bars with splices of outside wisdom by a existential writer.
Track 3: “Family Photo”
Mineo confronts an issue that is familiar to individuals that come from a single parent household: the love-hate relationship with his father.
The setting is his wedding day. Mineo is hopeful that his absent father will attend, but he is a no-show. Throughout the track’s progression, the pains of the past turn into acceptance of the future ahead. He says a prayer to let go of the anguish and resentment he may have for his father.
Track 4: “Anxiety”
The essence of this track is heard in the beat and rhythm. As the interlude of the project, Mineo encounters the feelings of an on-set anxiety attack. He talks his way through it as the melody replicates an irregular heart beat.
This is the turning point of the project where the following two songs represent a sign of optimism in his career. The song’s outro is a recording from one of his stops on his The Friends & Family Tour from the Fall of 2017. Mineo previews a song that he made independently without any assistance and talks about how this process helped him gain self-confidence.
Track 5: “I Ain’t Done”
The track is Mineo’s response to the confusion of whether or not he reached the end of his career. He realizes that this mid-life crisis in his career is normal, and he references other stars that went through the same experience such as Dave Chappelle, Britney Spears and Kanye West.
Despite going through the struggles, he convinces himself and also to his fans that he’s far from being finished.
Track 6: “…Lost”
The title of the ultimate track is the conclusion to the first: Mineo “has been…lost.” In the beginning, the intro is similar, but he provides an answer to the question about his disappearance:
The chorus of the final song is the rallying cry for those that are listening: “When I get above those clouds.” This is a reference to the project’s outro which is a story about how Mineo created the concept art and idea of the EP:
The feeling of the walls closing in is only a figment of your imagination. If one gets above the clouds, it’ll make you stronger and more appreciative of the journey that was just undertaken.
Moving Forward
Since this is the first chapter of Mineo’s life story, there could be more twist and turns that are unexpected. After listening to this album in its entirety, there are three essential messages that need to be remembered: everyone is imperfect, everyone experiences feelings of unworthiness/fear of failure, and the temporary feeling of the unknown always subsides with actions of perseverance, faith and self-assurance.
