😲 Wait… I know this song from our forum!

A few days ago, Spotify served me a track that made me stop mid-drive.

Beautiful. Mesmerizing. Completely absorbing. And the sickest 5/4 beat!

Then it hit me:

“Wait… I know this song.”

It was Nathaniel Earl’s “happy.”

I didn’t know it from Spotify.

I knew it from our Member Spotlight forum.

Back in 2023, Nathaniel shared it as an “almost finished” piece, saying he had:

He asked about low end, clarity, balance — all the usual “is this actually ready?” questions.

But the feedback wasn’t a list of fixes.

It was perspective.

Jesse L. summed it up perfectly:

And Nathaniel later said:

Here’s the takeaway:

When you lose objectivity, you don’t need more tweaks — you need trusted ears.

Not another plugin.
Not another revision spiral.
Just perspective.

The 48-Hour Objectivity Reset

When you can’t tell if something is done:

1. Step away for at least two days
2. Listen once, top to bottom
3. No stopping, no tweaking
4. Ask: Would I be proud to release this as-is?

If the doubts are vague… you’re probably finished.
If the issues are specific… fix those and move on.

Nathaniel did exactly that — plus one crucial step:

He shared his track.

Now “Happy” is officially out in the world, sounding just as magical outside the forum as it did inside it.

👉 Stream “Happy” by Nathaniel Earl here​

Reader, If you’re sitting on something that’s “almost ready,” this is exactly when a few fresh ears help most.

Post it in the Member Spotlight — especially if it feels “almost there.”

Free account required (takes ~30 seconds), real feedback from real mixers.

👉 Share your work-in-progress here​

You don’t have to be finished to belong here.

🎚️ Faders forever,
Dana

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