Critically acclaimed rising country star Sam Williams has released his new song “Carnival Heart” today. He specifically created the original track as the official anthem for the new innovative country-themed show, Songblazers: A Journey Into Country Music, produced and presented by Cirque du Soleil and Universal Music Group Nashville. Written and directed by Amy Tinkham, Songblazers opens in Nashville this July with seven additional cities following the launch.
Regarding the alliance with Songblazers, Sam commented, “I love painting a picture and causing curiosity in someone about a character or story. Getting to be part of this and collaborate with such world-class entertainers is a blessing. ‘The New Nashville’ is coming, and it can honor the past and point towards the future. I always wanted to be a professional freak!”
Musically, “Carnival Heart” balances tearful nostalgia with triumphant delivery. Co-written by Sam with PJ Harding and Ned Houston, delicate acoustic strumming sets the tone in between the echoes of wailing slide guitar. Meanwhile, Sam’s vocals instantly take hold on vivid verses as he admits, “I cried through the night over childhood photos, is the boy that I was still a part of the man that I am?” As the momentum increases, a promise uplifts the chorus, “If you believe from the start, your carnival heart will sing again.” It uncorks a flood of honest emotions.
About the song, Sam goes on, “I’ve written very sad songs in my time, and I was able to write this from a true place of acceptance and triumph over pain. ‘Carnival Heart’ mirrors a lot of my struggles as well as the journey of trying to find myself over the past several years. It talks about not knowing where your home is and wondering if the old innocent dreamer version of yourself is still there. Life is a crazy and beautifully painful roller coaster and you have to just ride.”
It lands in the wake of Sam’s recent stunning duet with Carter Faith “’Til I Can Make It On My Own.” Beyond amassing nearly half a million streams thus far, it incited widespread critical applause from the likes of The Tennessean, Whiskey Riff, and more. Plus, Billboard touted the song as one of “8 Must-Hear Country Songs” and professed, “These two artists’ voices are like twin flames.”
However, everything just paves the way for more music to come from Sam Williams.