n anticipation of his upcoming EP, emerging pop artist Kory Shore offers us a sneak peak with the single release version of his hit “Blood Sweat & Tears”. Gearing up to release a lengthier version of the same track on this summer’s project, his highly-anticipated single “Blood Sweat & Tears” offers a new level of vulnerability that we haven’t seen from Kory. While his previous single grappled with self-doubt, his upcoming track questions exactly what it is that makes him special because after all, we all have blood, sweat and tears. His solemn lyrics paired with the song’s jovial hook brilliantly encapsulates the collective depression felt during COVID while simultaneously embracing the feeling of new opportunities that can only be bred during desperate times. In the chorus, Kory sings “I’ve been told for years, working harder is my gift. But there’s nothing special here because everyone’s got blood, sweat and tears”. If everyone works hard, what is it that makes Kory standapart from the rest? Well, it’s safe to say that we’re seeing that very thing blossom in real time.
With an ‘edge’ like Halsey’s “You Should Be Sad” and hyper-imaginative sound design found in Jon Bellion’s “Human Condition”, “Blood Sweat & Tears” carries a tone that is emotionally raw, edgy, and swampy. The song perfectly captures the innocence of wanting to be valuable, and the grit it takes to become seen as such. Combining the innocence of glistening piano strums and delicate vocals with hard hitting percussion and guitar, the record takes the listener through a journey of a harsh reality harmonizing with the child-like purity of chasing a dream, telling a story that is both raw and magical. Perhaps the most unique part of the song is the lyrical transition to realizing that “wait – maybe the fact that we all have blood, sweat and tears is exactly what makes everybody special”. There comes a realization that we as a collective unit, as a human race, all have something unique to bring to the table and that is something to be celebrated. The switch-up to optimism happens organically as his instrumentation embraces larger than life hooks amidst delicate piano strums and dynamic drum patterns until the very end. “Blood Sweat & Tears” is a beautiful product of Kory’s hard work, reaffirming one of the qualities that truly makes him stand apart from the pack. The way his fun and easily digestible instrumentation pairs perfectly with endlessly relatable lyrics gives Kory a wide appeal, opening the door to fans of all sensibilities.
While he now lives in Nashville, Kory grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia to a creative and scientific household. At the age of 14, Kory released his first hit “Crying for America” which garnered over 150k views overnight as well as praise from Philly.com, FOX and many more. While it had the support of many, its misinterpretation brought a lot of negative attention from the YouTube community. Comments like “you should kill yourslef”, and “I hope you join the military and die” flooded the thread. For an insecure 14 year old, that was too much to handle. Kory stepped down from the spotlight and took time to focus on his schooling, eventually moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University. After college, he made a brief move to LA to introduce himself to the west coast music scene. As a songwriter and producer he’s garnered cuts with Cam Meekins, danny G, katie MAC, MNERVA, Leena Regan, Sheyda, Jack Decraene, Z Smith, and many others in Nashville and LA.
“Blood Sweat & Tears” is the last single before the release of his debut EP, marking the next chapter of his musical career.
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