It is rare that I go on political tangents as the editor/owner of Madness To Creation. However, the message behind this song is too important for me not to discuss. Canadian turned Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter Maggie Szabo released what could be one of the most important music videos of the year with the song “Don’t Give Up”.
Maggie Szabo is using her soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics to talk about something that is more important than her performing in packed arenas, being on magazine covers, and having the latest placements and endorsements. Maggie is using her voice to discuss the perils of social injustice that occur around the world. This message has had her featured on Perez Hilton, Yahoo! Music, Billboard, and Huffington Post, along with being the vocalist on DJ Schiller’s latest record, which has sold over seven million copies worldwide. In this music video, Maggie Szabo brings the issue of the role of gender in social constructs along with issues involving the LGBTQ+ community.
Lyrical Content: Maggie writes her music from a social justice standpoint. In this song, Maggie is demanding for love and acceptance for who they are and brings light to the issues of gender identity, along with sexuality. Her message is undoubtedly taken from the standpoint of “love is love” and that people should certainly be free no matter who they are. Her choruses are infectious as well.
Video Content: In this, it is not your typical high school prom video or a high school sweetheart video. This video showcases the transgender going through depression while he is struggling with being a girl. The transgender identifies himself as a boy and his boyfriend comes over, and it showcases that romantic scene of them taking pictures with the transgender’s family and they are getting ready for prom at the local high school.
There is a twist in the video as the boyfriend takes him to a secret location that is filled with neon lights and a table for two setting. At the table for two is not only their private dinner together, but a tuxedo awaiting the transgender. The transgender tries on the tuxedo and begins to instantly cry as he truly identifies himself as a boy. They dance together in a romantic scene as it showcases true love and acceptance.
Review: The song has beautiful ambiance in the background as Maggie Szabo does a masterful job of building her voice to the chorus. The chorus soars like an eagle as Maggie sings “When your back’s against the wall/Cuz you feel you’ve lost it all/There’s nowhere left to turn and no one left to call/There is someone just like you/Who feels the same way too/Why would you surrender/Don’t give up on love. The chorus is heartfelt and you can tell that Maggie lives the message that she’s singing about. I love the buildup in the bridge of the song where it feels like that Sunday morning church choir that is celebrating love and acceptance. This song should not only be embraced by the LGBTQ+ community as its new anthem, but it should be embraced for those that believe in equal rights and the freedom to love one another. Bravo Maggie Szabo for singing about this cause. She is talented enough to where she can be on the level of Katy Perry or Sia if she truly wanted to be, however, she chooses to write with her heart and conscious. 9 out of 10 stars from Madness To Creation!
Fans can find Maggie Szabo at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/allaboutmaggie
