46. Single Preview of Jungle Night by Michael Daughtry

Originally published September 25th, 2024

About the Artist

Our next featured artist, and newest member of the Fifteen Minutes of Fame alumni, is Michael Daughtry. Upon reading about Mr. Daughtry, I was blown away at the similarities he and I share in our past. Though I live 600 miles away from him, it would be no surprise to me to learn that we had crossed paths at one point in time or another. 

Michael grew up in a small town in North Carolina. So did I. They don’t get much smaller than New Bern, North Carolina. He seems to also be near the east coast of NC because he is playing at the International Folk Festival in Fayetteville, North Carolina this Saturday, if you happen to be in the area. I was stationed at Fort Bragg for a short while during my service for the US Army. Fort Bragg is located directly near Fayetteville.

Michael graduated from Berklee School of Music, in Boston, my first choice school. In fact, I was accepted there, I toured the campus, and I auditioned for and was awarded scholarships in the amount of 50% of my annual tuition to attend. I made the incredibly intelligent and courageous decision to abandon the pursuit of my dream school because of a girl I was dating though (looking for the sarcasm font here….)

Being a NC kid and going to Berklee, that alone makes me feel like we might have similar passions. Michael, however, has many accomplishments and those accomplishments stand alone.

For instance, Michael has charted on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 23! He has opened up for world-class acts like The Blue Man Group, members of Hootie and the Blowfish and Sixpence None the Richer, and Edwin McCain. He has played countless festivals along the East coast of the US. This may be the most noteworthy of all of his accomplishments: he pays forward and he gives back. Daughtry is an avid partner with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, having worked with them since 2013. And he took a portion of the profits of his last album and donated them to Fayetteville’s Child Advocacy Center.

Michael has released several singles on Spotify, including his most recent single, Showtime. Showtime and Friday’s release of Jungle Night, will be two songs featured on an upcoming EP that will be called Wild Card (release date TBD).

In addition to Michael’s solo work, you can hear releases from Michael Daughtry and the Drift at their Spotify page. Make sure to follow Michael on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook. You can also visit his website for news on upcoming shows and future releases. 

Michael is scheduled to perform this weekend at The International Folk Festival in Fayetteville. He also has upcoming events in October. If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and show your support!

About the Artist

Jungle Night is an Adult Contemporary Rock Song with a Gospel/Blues undertone. It has a runtime of 3 minutes. It is released independently my Michael himself. If anybody is interested in donating to Michael’s project, you can do so at his website. Donations come with perks, from early access to his album, to perks like limited edition posters, t-shirts, and more!

About the Song

The song starts with a piano part that accents the down beat in a march-like cadence. Drums accompany lightly and Daughtry’s vocals come in after intro. Guitars are also accenting the second and 4th beats, really giving persuasion to that down beat. 

As the first verse continues, elements of the song build into a nice transition into the chorus where the emphasis doubles to 8th notes and drive the song forward. The backing vocals come in at this time like a choral group and really fill any open space in the song with a big sound.

Going into the second verse, the length is cut and not many instrumental elements fall off though, the accent drops back to the down beat. 

The second chorus builds from the first by adding a second vocal melody in the choral arrangement to play off of the lead vocal part. This is a very nice decision musically. It sounds very good, it builds the song even further, and it adds a complex element to the arrangement that helps the song stand out.

The bridge opens up and drops the rhythmic emphasis, giving a diversity to the feel of the song, then leads back into the climatic last chorus to close the song out.

About the Lyrics

Lyrically, the author is speaking in complete analogy. As the song is titled, Jungle Night, it is jungle/ safari themed. “Here in the jungle, I’m waiting for you. Hanging for my dear life. I’m tangled up ,in the throes of something, longing for some of your time.” I like the wordplay here. The analogy gives an ambiguous message, which is an opportunity for more listeners to relate to the music by applying it to something in their lives.

“I hear the thunder. The lightning freaks me out and I feel that rain.” The bridge adds a twist to the narrative that gives a storyteller affect to the analogy. This is interesting because the author transitions into two different writing forms and it delivers.

In the chorus, the author takes us back to analogy. “Feeling hungry. Hear me calling. Hear me breathing. Done my feeding. No more fear of what we needed.” This triumphant resolution brings a very positive and uplifting tone to the overall story of the song.

Lyrically, I thing the author has delivered a very positive message that can be presented to a diverse range of listeners. It applies to faith, relationships, life in general, and I’m sure there are other applications as well. 

Final Thoughts

Michael Daughtry has accomplished a great deal in his career as an independent artist. His performance is very polished, he is willing to challenge himself and branch out in his writing, in his performance, and in his musical style. His song Jungle Night is a testament of his unwillingness to succumb to defeat in some, or any, capacity. 

This is the type of song I will be putting on after a long day, discouraging day, or even a bad day at the office. The positivity of his sound permeates empty space and inspires good vibes. Who doesn’t need that in their lives?

I’ll take one in every size, every color, and a matching watch to go with it!