“Shine on Top” by Surfaces

“Shine on Top” is a tune by a couple of young dudes based on the concept of remaining upbeat and optimistic – or as they put it ‘shining on top’ – even during depressing times. So this can be considered an anti-depression song. 

And the methodology taken features the main vocalist, Forrest, practically depicting how he goes about doing so in the first verse and then taking a more of an instruction-based approach in the second.

So what Forrest is apparently saying is that when he feels down, he jumps on his bike and rides “through the city”. And just being outside and enjoying nature, if you will, has a therapeutic effect. And in terms of generating his own thrills, the main vocalist seems to imply that he goes about pulling tricks on his bike, on top of being quite fond of riding very fast. 

On a side note, of course getting freaky on a bicycle amidst city streets can be quite dangerous. But it seems that implicitly, what Forrest is trying to say is that he gets a kick out of riding hard.

He also mentions “chilling by the bay”, which is one of the most important phrases in this song. Indeed it appears that Surfaces, as a unit, trace their musical origins back to a houseboat. So obviously he finds quality time in such a setting, which would be a more open space to ride his bike. 

The Cure for Depression

The overall implication of what he’s espousing encourages being outside as a remedy to depression, with even the singer’s legal name apparently being a derivative of the word “forest”.

And such a sentiment is reiterated at the beginning of the second verse. Here, listeners are being instructed to “take a breathe [and] feel the wind”. And this verse is a lot more specific than the first in terms of what the vocalist deems can cure melancholic feelings. For instance, he supports being true to yourself. And doing so includes “invest(ing) in yourself”. 

But in terms of dispensing cash, you should “never spend unless you chillin’ with a friend” who is in need. And if all of that sounds a bit convoluted, it seems what Forrest is actually trying to get at is money being a resource that is best shared. And he really feels ‘liberated’ like this when he’s in his favorite setting, “by the bay”. 

So going back earlier to the reference to the city, obviously he’s just riding through the urban landscape on his way to the coast.

Of course, not all of us can just jump on a bike and head down to the beach. But going back to the main point of this song, it’s like do what you gotta do to make yourself happy. Or viewed more holistically from Surfaces’ perspective, true chillin’ is more about being outside in a peaceful environment alongside a homey than anything else.

When did Surfaces release “Shine on Top”?

“Shine on Top” was released on the 8th of June 2018. The song was put out as a single from Surfaces’ second studio album, “Where the Light Is”.

The album was released on January 6 of 2019 by the record labels, Caroline Records and TenThousand Projects. It was distributed by Universal Music Group.

Two other singles namely, “Heaven Falls / Fall on Me” and “Sunday Best” were put out on August 28 of 2018 and January 5 of 2019 respectively.  

Credits

“Shine on Top” was composed by the duo, Colin Padalecki and Forrest.

DJ Grumble, a Boston based record producer, took charge of the song’s production.