Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Ryan O’Neil grew up in Queens, New York. A lover of all music, this multi-genre musician studied many forms at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. In school, he was exposed to all forms and styles including reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, R&B, rock and even classical which are the backbone to his art. Continuing his music education, Ryan recorded his first project in college and eventually picked up a guitar and wrote his first songs and went on to graduate with a music degree in 2006. O’Neil’s upbringing was full of musical influence such as folk and country music which are all reflective in some of his earlier work. In 2014, he released his first self-titled album and then paused to follow a life long dream of founding his own record label, Brave New Records. Feeling the effects of the pandemic as both a business owner and a musician, Ryan wrote and recorded his EP ‘The Quronic’ with Hamburg based producer Chinch33 in 2020. A man of many talents, O’Neil is a Kindergarten teacher and has been inspiring children with music for many years including teaching guitar since 2012.
In May of 2021, Ryan and BNR released ‘Love in 3 Acts‘ which he says, “tells the unfortunate tale of a doomed relationship. Over the course of 3 songs, this EP takes you from the highs of new love, through periods of uncertainty, until finally, acceptance.”. The first song on the EP is titled ‘Luv U 4Evr‘ and is both written and produced by O’Neil himself as well as co-written by Jamaican recording artist, Autarchii. This track also features Patrick Meyer on acoustic guitar and backing vocals as well as Steve Capecci on bass. When asked about the song Ryan says, “Luv U 4Evr is about a person professing their love for someone. It’s somewhat dark in that the idea is, regardless of how bad things get (climate change, wars, end of the world, I’ll still love you).”. He goes on to explain how this song is a new journey for him, “Although I was born in Jamaica and love listening to reggae/dancehall I’ve never actually made any. This is my first ever reggae/dancehall release.“.
Premiering July 1st, Ryan O’Neil paired the release of his reggae track ‘Luv U 4Evr‘ with a professional lyric video. When asked why he chose a lyric video for this song he says, “Lyric videos have risen in popularity and are a great and affordable way to market your music.“. We couldn’t agree more! This song uses beautiful nature imagery to represent the ‘eternal love’ theme which directly relate to O’Neil’s lyrics. When he sings “Till the skies turn red…” the viewers see a breathtaking cloudy sky that’s tinted red. His next line “and the ocean’s green…” there is a shot of a beautiful green ocean. When asked about his favorite part of the lyric video, Ryan says, “I thought the team at LyricVids did a great job finding appropriate background footage.“. Considering this song is more emotional, using nature imagery not only works because of the lyrics but nature is often used to symbolize sentiment and reflection. For instance, when the lyrics read “Till we’re old and grey…” the viewers see a vast forest and mountain tops. Mountains symbolize constancy and permanence such as the singer’s love and the trees represent life and growth, referencing the life they will have together.
Oceans can be seen as a symbol of stability, as it can exist largely unchanged for centuries and the sky represents eternity, joy and happiness. We also see shots of deserts which symbolize strength and perseverance which is relatable to all relationships. These scenes are stunning and slow moving which is consistent with the harmony of the song. Using a large and bold font style to display the lyrics carefully around the screen in this music video was a great choice as it allows the viewers to sing along with O’Neil and to truly grasp the meaning of the hyperbolic song alongside the visual story being told.
The professional lyric video for Ryan O’Neil’s ‘Luv U 4Evr’ is a visually pleasing journey that effectively symbolizes the strong emotions that come from love and passion. It successfully utilizes colors, font choices and bold nature imagery to portray an energy that coincides with the song’s beat and O’Neil’s vocals. The video is powerful and full of life which is exactly how the artist set out to begin his story for the ‘Love in 3 Acts’ EP. What’s next for this New York based musician? Ryan says, “I’ve got a show on August 28th at Bar Chord in Brooklyn, NYC. I’m currently working on a beat tape and collaboration project after that.“. You can follow Ryan on all social media platforms @Ryanoneilmusic or you can check out his website at www.ryanoneilmusic.com
Check out the official lyric video for Ryan O’Neil’s ‘Luv U 4Evr‘ on YouTube here:
This is great guys. Thanks.