The Beatles Miss the Mark on New Song “Now And Later”
The Beatles are inarguably the most influential band of all time. With this being said, it’s still possible for them to miss the mark on a release — especially a release in 2023. Simply put, their new song “Now And Then” is just not it. Without many memorable moments in the song, it was difficult to reach the 4 minute mark. On my first listen, I had the thought that “Now And Then” sounds like a song that was cut from the Skyfall Soundtrack because it wasn’t good enough.
The release of this song also brings up the controversial topic of whether any entity or person should be able to release music on behalf of those who have passed away. With 2/4 Beatles members unfortunately passing away in 1980 and 2001, the argument that music should not be released without the consent of all artists involved stands solid here.
Additionally, I want to add that the cover art is subpar. They could have easily created AI artwork, or even better, used an unseen picture of The Beatles from the past. Unfortunately, the song was released with an album cover that looks like it was made on Canva.
To sum it up, I was disappointed by “Now And Then” which Paul McCartney called “the last Beatles song ever.” I have the utmost respect for everything The Beatles have done for music, but I wish this song was kept in the vault. Give the song a listen — maybe I’m being too harsh.