Although his audition for the 20th anniversary season of American Idol has not yet aired, Ryan Argast (@RyanArgast on Twitter) released for streaming the song he debuted for his audition. “The Man Who Has Everything” is streaming now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Ryan gained notoriety in the Chicago music scene as the vocalist of genre-bending pop-rock band Marina City (@MarinaCity on Twitter). He has begun to release solo music online within the last two years, including “Empty Chair” from December of 2021, in honor of his grandfather, and 2020’s “Vows”, his actual wedding vows in song form.
“The Man Who Has Everything” has an arena ballad sort of sound. His voice and musicianship--both in writing and performing could be held up against powerhouses like Bryan Adams, Phil Collins, and Chris Martin. Lyrically, the song explores a struggle with the concept of being the “man who has everything.” He expresses the feeling that he has, perhaps, already experienced everything, and that he has peaked as a person, and feeling as though he could fail in his attempts at growth. It’s the question of generativity versus stagnation that people end up at in their careers (and lives in general). It’s a dialectic of “I have everything and I don’t have myself.” Argast tweeted that it was a song that he wrote in a dark place, but it helped to bring him out of that place.
It’s a very bold and expressive song, which is something that has become a standard for both Ryan’s solo music and his music with Marina City.
Despite not having watched American Idol regularly since 2008, I plan on watching every moment of Ryan’s journey. His songwriting skills, vocals, and showmanship deserve to be seen on a national level. I’ll always cherish the day that I saw Marina City at the tiny 7th St Entry here in Minneapolis, but I look forward to seeing Ryan headline Target Center here one day.
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