Joèe says we should be glad we’re here Anytime Of Year in his new holiday single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Let’s face it: It’s hard to put your stamp on the holidays as a singer. Christmas albums are the norm for nearly every artist, and trying to get airplay for new Christmas songs can be challenging. Then you have a trove of standards that rarely are removed from rotation. But if you have a song as tender and soulful as Anytime Of Year, you shouldn’t have that issue. The single, which creates mental pictures of ’50s era doo-wop bands singing around an open flame in the dead of winter, is a pristine and polished song that hits all the right notes while tugging at all the right heartstrings.
Joèe (born Joseph DeSimone) is marking a new chapter in his career — Anytime Of Year is his first single after a hiatus. The song is a hopeful, romantic track inspired by the universal challenges people faced, endured, and coped with during the global pandemic. “Anytime Of Year was written during a time when I needed to find strength and joy amidst difficulties,” says Joèe, who also produced the song. “I hope it resonates with listeners and becomes a part of their Christmas playlists for years to come.”
Anytime Of Year begins with the sound of sleigh bells before a classic, slow-dance, doo-wop-tinged nugget begins. Joèe sings about wanting a love to stay around beyond the Christmas holidays and dreading the fact that special person might not be sticking around after Dec. 25. With a tasteful arrangement that isn’t busy but accents the singer’s passionate delivery, Anytime Of Year brings to mind a deliberate but downtempo Last Christmas by Wham! or Boyz II Men’s 1993 Christmas Interpretations album.
The single (which saw Joèe assisted by Luca Caracciolo) is the latest in his lengthy and colorful career. Born in Toronto in 1972, the performer got his start with local bands before appearing on the American talent show Star Search. From there, he took top prize in a songwriting competition sponsored by a Toronto radio station. In 1995, a cover of Cutting Crew’s classic I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight cracked Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Charts. He has toured throughout North America and in 2001, received a SOCAN Award for Best Dance Music.
Joèe‘s discography includes 1995’s Just A Taste (under the name Intonation Featuring Joèe), 1999’s Truth, 2002’s self-titled album and a 2004 compilation entitled A Decade Of Dance. The artist, who has garnered Juno and MMVA nominations, has had hit singles on the Canadian charts including If I Could, Do You Right and Angel, among others.
Check out Anytime Of Year above, hear more from Joèe below and follow him on Instagram.
