Song Spotlight: Tanner Massey's Wish I Was Him (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Tanner Massey arrived in Los Angeles the previous day after driving 32 hours from Oklahoma. He showed no signs of exhaustion from the drive during his WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. If his name sounds familiar, it is because he was on the 24th (2023) season of The Voice and finished in the Top 12 while being part of Team Gwen Stefani. Could he had placed higher? He felt if he had done Shawn Mendes' "Mercy" that he would have gotten to the next stage. Either way, his fans showed up to catch his set and to spend a few moments afterwards to talk with him.   

Tanner Massey at Hotel Ziggy

Per his Spotify bio, he is "known for his soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics." His set was a mix of his own personal material and covers. I loved the fact that he gave background stories to his songs. His song "Jealous" was about someone in his life who made him feel bad by telling him that he didn't want to be in their life. It is a song focused on frustration, because he did want to be in their life. "Choke" is about feeling stuck in a relationship. His set was a solo one -- just him and his guitar -- but one could hear the undercurrents of a real rocker of a tune for "Choke" when backed by a full band. 

Tanner Massey at Hotel Ziggy

He did perform an untitled duet that he is working on (with another individual, duh). When the lyrics were distinctly from the perspective of a young woman, he insert a brief commentary into the song to laugh about it. Of his covers, his Harry Styles cover of "Falling" got some fandom screams. 

The song spotlight goes to "Wish I Was Him." The song is inspired by his first breakup. "I felt that in my first relationship, I was competing with somebody that didn't exist. I was manifesting somebody in my mind and I was constantly having to fight against, be a better version of myself constantly." Many a break-up song by a singer-songwriter is about the failings of the other person. Not that this song doesn't take that perspective, but it is also a song that looks at internal failures.

Tanner Massey at Hotel Ziggy

The sad part is
That deep down we both wish I was him     

Setlist: Countdown, Wish I Was Him, Falling (Harry Styles cover), Jealous, Mercy (Shawn Mendes cover), Untitled Duet, Choke, Photograph (Ed Sheeran lyrics).