Today was the day when Guns N’ Roses new single was officially released and played on a large majority of radio stations, like New York’s Q104.3. This is something fans have been waiting for so long, more precisely since 1999 when Guns N’ Roses released the single “Oh My God” so all the commotion this song is creating is understandable, to say the least. For the song itself, opinions may vary. There is a real difference between the hype a song creates and its exact musical value. So it’s Chinese Democracy the new Child O’ Mine or Don’t Cry? Is Chinese Democracy the hit we were all expecting from Guns N’ Roses?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, the song is catchy and it has some nice guitar riffs, the lyrics are also quite the style of Axl Rose and overall the song sounds good, it can energize somebody, make people sing along. On the other hand, no is also a good answer. No, this is not Child O’ Mine. There is something interestingly wrong about this song, the fact that it’s not the typical Guns N’ Roses sound. Axl Rose’s voice isn’t as high pitched as it once was, the guitar solos fail to impress and sound pretty standardized and shockingly enough there is pretty clear that during some parts of the song Axl Rose is actually trying to sound lower. Even if it sounds a little exaggerated, the song sounds, in some parts, like a light-weight Pantera song, which is good, but not Guns N’ Roses.

All in all, Chinese Democracy will be a success as it is a piece of good music. Even more, it might have the chance to grow on people that are more keen on the old sound of Guns N’ Roses.