Photo Credit: Aaron Tromp (@trompskis)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // March 11, 2020
Considering the handful of country singers in his family, Noah Davis had been exposed to music since he was incredibly young. But where Davis deviates from his Southern family is his love of pop and R&B that ultimately pushed him to move nearly 2,000 miles away to sunny Los Angeles. Now in 2020, the former American Idol contestant is taking the knowledge and experiences he’s garnered over the years to rise to the top of the pop charts with an honest new single, “Lie to Me.”
The piano-driven track is absolutely breathtaking as Davis’ powerhouse vocals crescendo and decrescendo with no warnings. With just one listen of “Lie to Me,” we completely understand why Davis finds solace in speaking his truths by way of music. “Lie to Me” hears Davis begging someone to cover the truth because it’s just too painful to hear, which is something we can all relate to.
On “Lie to Me,” Noah Davis exclusively shared with us,
“There are situations in life when you’d rather have someone lie and tell you it’s okay even though it’s not. When you can’t fathom having to deal with what’s really happening, and you just don’t want to hear the truth.”
The Hidden Hits has your first listen of “Lie to Me” below:
To celebrate the release of his new music, we recently chatted with Noah Davis about American Idol, Lizzo, and of course, “Lie to Me.”
HH: American Idol will always be a huge part of your past. What did you learn in that experience and how has it shaped you as a promising artist?
ND: Before I was on the show, I had never been around that many talented singers before. It challenged me to better myself and continuously work on being better. Additionally, if I had never been on the show, I probably wouldn’t be living in LA and pursuing my career in music. The show gave me the opportunity and the courage to live outside of the norm and chase my dreams. (That sounds so corny, but it’s true haha.) I also learned that getting told “no” is okay. Failures teach you what you have to do to succeed and even though I didn’t win (or get close to winning haha) American Idol, I feel like every time I decided to persist with my art I win.
HH: You’ve never been afraid to be honest in your lyricism. Why is that so important to you?
ND: I think that music should tell a story. It should make you feel something. Whether it makes you feel happy, sad, ready to turn up, or ready to cry into a bottle of wine alone, it should make you feel something. In my opinion, the best way to make people feel connected to you is to share art that’s honest. More often than not whatever you’re going through, someone else is probably going through it as well so what better way to connect with people than through stories and lyrics they can relate to.
HH: “Lie to Me” is easily one of the most heartfelt songs we’ve heard lately. How would you say your new single contrasts with your previous releases?
ND: I think that in my previous songs I’ve been honest, but not necessarily vulnerable. With “Lie to Me,” I’m very vulnerable and I’m excited to share that with people. This song is also a bit of a new sound for me; my previous releases have been bouncy, fun, and pop-driven, but this song takes it to a more serious space for a second where I’m able to be more vulnerable and truthful. It’s a very different side of my art that I’m stoked to share with people!
HH: Can you share a bit about the creative process behind “Lie to Me?”
ND: The day “Lie To Me” was written, I went into the studio with my friends David and Natania back in September of last year. I remember feeling like nothing was falling into place in my life at the time. I said I had a concept for a song about how if you’re with someone and the relationship isn’t working out and you’d rather be lied to and told everything is fine than deal with the root of the issues. David started playing the chords on the piano and the mood was instantly set! The lyrics just came to us and we were all obsessed with the song! And now, so many months later it’s finally seeing the light of day!
HH: Why do you think it’s so hard for us to hear the truth sometimes?
ND: Sometimes it’s pride, sometimes it’s ego, and sometimes it’s just simply wanting to save yourself from heartbreak. I think it’s hard for people to grasp that everyone–even their closest friends and family or partner–has a different perception of reality and the world, so when we find out that maybe things aren’t exactly as we thought, it hurts. It’s confusing. And sometimes it’d just be easier to hear a lie than face the truth.
HH: What’s one of the hardest things you’ve had to share with someone–knowing it’d hurt them?
ND: My family is everything to me. I lived in the same house my whole life with my family and had my grandparents next door so I was always surrounded by my loved ones. I remember telling my mom that I wanted to move to LA for my music and I could almost instantly tell that the thought of her child that far away from home hurt her. It was a hard decision that I didn’t make lightly because of how close I was to my family. At the time, I’m sure my mom would have rather heard a lie. She didn’t want to hear that I was finally leaving the nest but she knows it’s what would make me happy. I owe my family everything
HH: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would you pick?
ND: The world doesn’t know it yet but they NEED a Noah Davis x Lizzo collab. It will happen. I’m speaking it into existence RIGHT NOW!
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
ND: “Home” by Zach Davis (Shout out to my older brother who is such a talented country artist). “Simple” by VINCINT. “Bad Side” by iyla.
The Hidden Hits 