What's up you guys, my name is Ian Eastwood.
You might know me from some crews like "Young Lions" and "Mos Wanted Crew"
and working with some artists like "Childish Gambino" and "Chance the Rapper".
If you haven't seen the piece that we're about to break down right now go ahead and stop
check it out and come right back here. I like songs that basically create a space for me to tell the story
by the simplicity of the vocals and usually it's just a guitar maybe it's a piano but all acoustic instruments
and I literally went to my Release Radar on Spotify to try and find something and
I literally see this Pink Sweat$ song at the very top. A little backstory of why it connected with me
is actually my lady she's overseas and she's gonna be there for the next six months and I miss her
desperately and it's only been one month since she's been gone and I'm just like a pathetic
puppy, awaiting her arrival back here. It's nice that you can facetime somebody and
see them right away but at the same time there's like certain like really romantic gestures
that we don't really get to like participate in anymore.
I thought about how people used to like write songs for each other, and, I think there's something really special
about making something for somebody. I called, I sent this to her, and called it like my little love letter to her.
She know I'm thinking about her and yeah, that's like uh really the essence behind the reason I made this piece.
So, let's check it out. Here we go.
Yo, Young Lions are goats!
Big shout-out to the original Young Lions! You got Trevor, Bong, and Anthony in there.
They learn this the day of, before I get into it, I'll just say up front you might see variations
of the same concept, repeated. I think it's important to create almost themes and motifs that become
recurring, so that they're easier to understand, similar like a chorus in a song.
If I'm trying to get someone to latch on to what I'm doing visually, I like to create little memorable hooks
or moments that maybe come to life in different aspects throughout the piece.
So, keep that in mind. Keep a lookout for the motifs I'll point them out as they come.
Let's start from the top.
because of the simplicity of the song being acoustic. It's nice to bring attention
to what's happening into the guitar because that's what really creates the whole pocket
that the lyrics are like dancing around on top of. It's not that the guitar means something more than the guitar
but it's almost like a grounding factor. Because, a lot of times when you have acoustic songs like this.
The separation between words and moments is so far apart that you have
to fill this space with something rhythmic and driving, and a lot of times I like to bring in the guitar.
So, you'll see it probably maybe three or four times in there back in.
Okay, so right at the top. So, he says the world is mine and I want you so,
what happens is, we pull up the world like I think it's Mr. Universe whatever, Arnold schwarzenegger was
with the pose where the guy's holding the globe. So, that's the concept is like we're holding the globe
the world is mine, and I want you. So what happens is, you spin the world and then while
it's spinning around really fast, you spot that the person you want is right here on the map.
But the globe is still spinning, so that carries you around and you find that point on the map.
Right there on the globe. We lift up the world, we spin the world, we find who we want,
and then the spin, the momentum of the imaginary globe basically carries you around to end where the person is.
Uh, next line is I close my eyes in Deja vu. So, here you'll see I just
I closed my eye literally, physically, closed my eyes. Now, I choreographed it to go
I actually left and right but I think I said even in the class, like, I'm not going to give
you guys eye choreography. You could just close them on the first eye, shut now,
Deja vu is something where you're just going about your regular day-to-day life
and you feel, I've lived this moment in my life before. So, the concept is the whole globe
Mr. Universe spinning around, find you concept. We felt the Deja vu of that same spin,
pull us around and that's what happens here. That's it's a lot of concepts in a really condensed amount of time.
Then it goes, help me realize, we basically open our eyes because we're scared and we look through
the eyes and then the legs shake, like, like you're really scared, like you're shaking in your boots.
This moment is when I decided I liked the piece. When you're doing something experimental
I try to really choreograph from an experimental perspective. It keeps my choreography looking
and remaining fresh. As I continue on through this section, I felt that it was I guess you could say
peculiar, that's why it solidify like, okay, now, I think I have something here,
and this is where it starts to get into like, just more dancing. I guess, it's still really highly conceptual.
He says, I'm right where I should be, yeah. So, this is where we introduced the first time of the X Marks the spot
like motif, the dancer shakes down and establishes like, oh, I'm realizing this is here
and like, this is like new ground for me and then the X Marks the spot happens right underneath right underneath yourself
in a natural flow, right, where that's on the words, right where. Then this goes, I set that up
so that you can change the weight. Should, then the head lifts, so that you have somewhere to initiate
the release of the knee and then, you basically did X Marks a spot and then you're gonna say
I should be right there. So, you put yourself onto X Marks the spot.
Technically, it's in front of X Marks the spot.
If we're being picky, boom,
and then you're like, yep, that's exactly where I want to be.
Guitar, like I said, guitar, is a grounding moment.
So, we just did something super conceptual right here,
and then the guitar actually grounds us back into the rhythm of everything.
Picking something that's like recognizable
even if you have to use it multiple times is not necessarily a bad thing.
We're like 19 seconds into this and there's already like seven concepts or something like that.
You have to like ground it at a certain point with something that's not just like confusing people.
Okay, that's that's like two-three concepts right there.
This is that moment where maybe you're like at a picnic or
something with your loved one,
and then you just plop down maybe even the bed, whatever.
And this is you just like thinking something, and you're like a little bit nervous to bring it up.
You're drumming your fingers like I've been thinking about this.
I hope this person feels the same.
Now, the lyrics are I want you more than just a night, so that's why you're nervous,
you're like, I want to tell this person I want to be with them more than just like maybe this first date,
What's more than just a night. To me, in my head, I thought okay, what's more than just a night?
A week, that's that's the next leap. Right, you think day, week, month, year.
So, I go okay, then just I counted the syllables. I want you more than just a night... We count all the days.
Seven days a week, I want you all seven days of the week.
Next, we have this army crawl.
Honestly, I thought about my grandpa who went and served in World War 2, and just like what
it must have been like missing your wife and kids.
He was a marksman and so I do the dive over to the army crawl.
I give my life, he says, I die for you and then I do,
it's so funny, because I just went from something super serious, like my grandfather in war
which is horrible, and then it goes to something like super like pop culturey
uh, I do this Sammy Sosa
and then, you realize, it's like the thought waves through your head.
It's like goes through your brain. Your brain waves...
I'm right where I should be. I don't know if it was my mom who told me this,
there's like a grounding exercise where you literally like,
like, establish where you are. You're self-assuring yourself
like, I'm right here. I'm right where I should be me.
All of me, my head, shoulders, knees, and toes.
So, I literally do head, shoulders, knees, and toes,
head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.
Uh, right where I should be, yeah, basically you outline yourself
and you're like, yup, this spot and this is like I imagine that I'm like cuddled up next to Leslie
and I'm like, right here, this is right where I want to be.
Yep, right here.
Then, you look at the person or like you establish their eyes, boom, and then those eyes turn to you...
and then you nod at each other, like you both agree.
Like, this is where we both feel we want to be right here together.
Oh, it's so sweet...
He says, when the world is over I'll wait here for you.
Don't do anything right. We play the guitar,
ground ourselves with the rhythm of that, and then we create a world, right in that space.
Then, we crush the world.
I'll wait here for you, so, we do wait it's like a two-layered time concept.
Me and Brian talk about this all the time, that we like ran out of time concepts.
Like 10 years ago. But, this is actually one I haven't done before, so,
back at it. So, we're back at it. Well, I do the normal time that we've done for years
which is like, establish the wrist. I'm like doing it and I have a watch right here.
Establish the watch
and then rotate to represent the hands on the clock spinning,
but, I match that by if as though
I'm the hands on the clock. I put this leg back here when I plant the the hands on the watch
I also plant the leg back here, right here, and then I pull, and rotate the clock as though
I'm the hands on the clock and I have a clock on me. So, it's like a double-layered concept.
We scoop out everything underneath to land right back where we just were and then we bring back the motif
of the X Marks the spot of this is where I want to be with this person.
So I think that's the second time that we bring that concept back.
Then, from here same thing, guitar, grounds us, rhythmically.
There's like a nice... Like, like a
70's ballad like guitar strum and that's what we do this wave through right here.
Now, we are dancing on the guitar strum as we glide a claw across but then what happens is
as we're like dead gliding across, the arms are unfolding, and then it
leaves you perfect space to add just a little bonus points of acknowledging spend some time.
Ah, right, so we bring the clock back. We just did the clock you bring it back again.
Spend some time, I'll still adore. So, I just thought about like when you just like are maybe on a date
with someone and you just keep holding their hands and so that's what happens here.
So, I push myself up that's like established almost as though it's the other person's hand, and then this hand
represents my hand and it comes through and then the other way. Literally, like when you're just like
chilling with someone that you're just adoring and you're just looking at their hands and you're just adoring them.
Then, this is where when you love someone they're laying down and you're just
like, I had a rough day, and you just collapse on them. You're just like I'm
mush, be mush with me...
Nothing feels better than you. The knee grabs, and then you establish the "you" pointing at the
person that we've been laying next to underneath the knee. Then, what's really weird about this
is that the shoulder stays down and we roll over the top of the shoulder
and twist it around to then hit the back vocals of la la la la la.
Then he says, nothing...
If you were to look at what a run looks like as a vocal
it actually is like bouncing up and down like this. In order to look like the run,
you have to condense the movement to be really small. To match the bounce of the run.
Timing, is more important than it being physically impressive.
Look at how little I'm actually moving here on the run.
Right, and because he says the feels and it's like nice and staccato.
Then, I can bounce off that and create some space around this and that
makes everything nice and airtight.
Feels better than you, right. So, we're really just chopping up the lyrics here.
Then, it's like you've already established the "you"
where it's pointing but then it gets stuck on the way
To match the run - "you". This is like my favorite part it's like a little notes in there to Leslie. I just was able to
have the honor of getting to be the male lead in her music video that she just released, "Bachatika".
It was a huge crazy learning curve experience for me. Because I had to learn, uh, Bachata and learn
how to actually really dance with the partner. So, what happens here is that we go into the timing of the Bachata.
So, it's like one, two, three, one, two, three.
Now I put some like a little bit more choreo flavor on it.
Not so much, you know, specific, authentic Bachata. I know I'm gonna get flamed in the comments.
It has to really start to pick up here because we're wrapping up the the song
is coming to a peak, and it's going to have to have a quick outro as well. So, let's give some context to this section.
One, two, three, one, two, three.
Yeah, so that's me dancing with Leslie right there.
Forever I'm yours just know that I'm all in. So, we hit
literally everything here. We hit every single word. We've really built up this like swell of like slow
rising energy the whole time because we've been on the ground and pulling all these like intimate
moments to life, and now he's picking up his pace within how the lyrics are hitting. You know we've
done all the storytelling. We could continue to do the storytelling, but now we're gonna do it with
more emphasis and more focus on the dance.
What I did, was he says, just know that I'm all in...
You're tuning, you're saying, just know this. In my head, it's like you're tuning the the like knob
on the guitar and then that tune instrument now, you pull with it for the no.
So it's like, you're doing a musical thing embodying the guitar itself
and then you're also tying that in with his wordplay.
So it's kind of like another double one.
Last part, last little section
Nothing, so remember we established the X Marks the spot, now we're saying nothing.
Like nothing, except what's right here. Then, he says feels better than you.
Basically, this is pulling up the sheets and being like, yes, it's our time to cuddle like
the best time of the day we'll watch like sopranos or something on TV or like the morning show
and then, this is actually something that I do to her, just as like a joke, and also like trying
to be sappy all the time. When she's driving away like sometimes I'll like hold her car
and other times I'll just stand there and like draw little hearts in my eyes.
All of that cute coupley stuff.
It's like a very very deeply layered callback. Super super simple ending
but it does have a nice cute meaning.
Let's uh, let it rock. Basically, you're just tapping your feet what this is is
literally like when you're laying with someone that you love and you're just lost in their
aura, and you're just listening to music, and you're just naturally tapping your feet in the in the covers
or you know off the side of the bed. You're just like naturally you're just like, I love you
and then your feet are just kind of like going to the music and you're just like, oh, man my life is
so nice, and then the end is not like going away from the person, because I realize afterwards that
it could look like you're going away from the person.
When we sleep it's super funny because
we'll be sleeping but in synchronicity, we'll switch sides together, like, so we just do us
a spoon invert there's a lot in there man. There's a lot of messages in there. Even if someone doesn't
quite get it, just having intention and purpose behind what you're doing, creates a more full
experience and a more full piece of art.
That you can uh, you know, stand on.
If you do want to learn this piece, don't forget you can click on the link below and learn it from STEEZY.
So, enjoy!
I've closed my eyes and Deja vu helped me realize I'm right where I should be, yeah!