Initially known as Raines, Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Mike Nelson changed his stage name to BANNERS with the release of "Shine the Light" - a brilliant showcase of vulnerability and strength. Nelson revealed to CoS that the song is about the universal struggle for hope amidst desperation: “The song is about feeling lost at sea and desperately searching for a beacon of light. It’s about waiting for that one big wave to finally pull you under while clinging on to that one last ray of hope. It’s a song to the person in your life that offers salvation while the storm is raging around you."
The lyrics are simple yet effective, directly utilizing the metaphor of the ocean as a seemingly insurmountable threat and obstacle that one must overcome:
(Woah) shine a light onShine a light on me(Woah) shine a light onShine a light on meCause I was lost at seaWhile the waves were dragging me underneath(Woah) shine a light onShine a light on me
The track creates a sudden and perfect storm, beginning with Nelson's raw, emotive vocals and escalating from a personal, soul-searching ballad to reach epic stadium-size proportions with the accompaniment of backing vocals, piano chords and an adrenaline-pumping drumbeat. Nelson has revealed that he likes to write songs acoustically before adding on a "more rock sound" (CONFRONT, 2015) - and this juxtaposition of the intimate and the athemic works wonders for "Shine a Light".
It's definitely a fitting choice for the soundtrack to the FIFA 2016 trailer, and I can only breathlessly echo all the praise that has been heaped on the track: "a true force to be reckoned with", "hopeful and haunting", and "sublime, grandiose pop [...] a driving anthem of stunning intent".
