Erick Oscar might just be our artist of the month and honestly, “What Will We Tell Them” gives us a good reason to have that conversation. He outdid himself with his latest album and while it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite song on the album because every song gives you a different feeling.
The single found a way to sound so gentle while touching on something quite serious. The song doesn’t come at you with a heavy arrangement or an overly dramatic performance. Instead, it eases you in with the soft strumming of an acoustic guitar, creating a relaxed atmosphere that makes you want to settle in and listen.
Talking about the music itself, the acoustic guitar does a lovely job of setting the mood. It’s gentle, warm, and uncomplicated, giving the song that intimate feeling you get when someone picks up a guitar and starts singing without needing much else around them. And knowing that Oscar has spent more than thirty years playing guitar and writing songs makes this approach even more interesting. He has spoken about how playing guitar serves as a form of therapy for him, helping him work through whatever the day brings. You can appreciate that personal connection when listening to a song that allows its melody and vocals to take their time rather than rushing to impress.
The vocal is where the song gets more interesting. Erick takes the lead at the beginning, delivering the opening lines with a relaxed touch and a few subtle melodic turns. Before long, the female voice comes in, bringing a sweeter, slightly higher tone that adds a lovely contrast. The two voices work well together, each bringing something different to the arrangement without taking away from the other’s presence.
I particularly like how this vocal combination gives the song a little more life while keeping its gentle character intact. There’s a natural sense of balance between the two voices, and considering the song’s message about unity and respect, their coming together feels especially fitting. Different tones, different qualities, but they find a way to complement one another. It’s a nice touch, both musically and thematically.
You hear the song from the start and probably think it’s going to remain an acoustic ballad all the way but a little more goes on beneath the surface. Erick Oscar brings in a Latin flavour that gives the track a different kind of movement. There’s a subtle sensuality to the rhythm, with hints of reggaeton woven into a sound that still feels melodic and easy to follow. It doesn’t overwhelm the acoustic elements; instead, it gives the song a bit of a groove and keeps things from becoming too subdued.
There’s a switch between English and Spanish which adds to the song’s appeal. It barely sounds like two languages because it flows and blends together so well, all thanks to Erick’s background.
Born in Panamá, he has lived in the United States for 34 years, became an American citizen decades ago, and has travelled extensively across Latin America through his work. That’s a lot of cultural exposure, and it helps explain why his music doesn’t seem interested in staying within one particular box.
In fact, Oscar draws from an impressively wide range of styles, including country, pop, ballads, Afrobeat, salsa, merengue, bachata, flamenco, vallenato, reggaeton, and mariachi. Country music is especially close to his heart because he appreciates its rawness, depth, and purity. Yet, with all these different influences available to him, he holds on to one simple belief: a song should have something to say. And that’s an important part of understanding “What Will We Tell Them.”
The title gives us something to really think about. What will we tell them? Our children, the younger generation, the people who will eventually have to live with the decisions we’re making today. What explanations will we offer them for the way we’ve treated one another? What will we say about the divisions we allowed to continue, or the times we chose not to understand people simply because they came from a different background?
These are big questions, but Oscar approaches them through a song that feels welcoming rather than confrontational. Its message centers on acceptance, integration, unity, and respect, encouraging us to think about the kind of society we’re building and what we want future generations to learn from it.
Of course, a song doesn’t have to provide all the answers to be meaningful. Sometimes, asking the right question is enough to get people thinking. That’s the space “What Will We Tell Them” occupies. Its message is there, but the music remains pleasant and approachable, allowing you to enjoy the listening experience while giving you something to reflect on afterwards.
All in all, “What Will We Tell Them” gives us a look at Erick Oscar as a songwriter who wants his music to do more than simply sound good. There’s warmth in the instrumentation, a pleasant contrast in the vocals, and enough Latin flavour to give the track its own character. But what stays with you is the question behind it all: what kind of world are we leaving for those who come after us?
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