Photo: Maxwell Goldberg

When we last saw Sam MacPherson, the young singer-songwriter was gearing up for the release of "Routine," his first single of 2021. With a few successful tracks under his belt, "Routine" was going to be his bold introduction into a new year - and the possibilities were limitless. 

Though MacPherson may describe himself as "not a numbers guy," his accolades seem to keep piling up: over 400K monthly listeners on Spotify, two million streams for "Routine," and one incredibly strong breakout single. Maintaining his grasp on 2021, MacPherson returns to us again with his newest release, "Last Minute," an upbeat track about being flexible during love's chaos.

If "Routine" was elegiac, then "Last Minute" is the exact opposite, which I guess would be a song you might expect to hear at a wedding. Produced by Andy Seltzer and Adam Yaron, the mix features sparse guitar riffs and piano chords that serve as a minimalistic foundation for MacPherson's seasoned falsetto. As the song progresses through bridges, choruses, and verses, the listener is treated to multiple musical swells that are almost hypnotic with transcendental reverberation.

Like his last single, MacPherson's signature sentimental writing style stays at the focal point of "Last Minute," but this time around his emotional register is much more saccharine than dejected. The track almost evokes comparisons to romantic anthems from the 1960's, but with a modern pop feel - one with a graceful ending to an already effortless display in stylistic versatility. Perhaps MacPherson's bold switch-up in style and composition is symbolic of the importance of flexibility in both the musical and romantic realms.

With "Last Minute," MacPherson is quickly proving himself to be one of the most formidable upcoming artists in pop music. At the rate he's accumulating fans and attention from his peers, it seems like only a matter of time until he reaches the pop mainstream. 

Listen to “Last Minute” below: