‘Stay a Little Longer’ is all about that most difficult of things to accept; that time cannot be stopped. It’s a real heartfelt plea for just a bit more time with the people we love.
There are songs that come from imagination and there are songs that come from experiences you simply can’t keep to yourself. “Stay a Little Longer” is the latest single from Stuttgart based songwriter and producer the.flyingSAM and it’s definitely in the latter camp. The song was released on 24th October 2026 and was born out of Samuel Schultz’s experience of his father being diagnosed with cancer and the terror of what it would mean to lose someone so close. It’s a very personal subject but the emotion at the heart of the song is one that we’ve all felt at some point in our lives, the desire to have just a little bit more time with someone you love. The song is about a very difficult feeling to put into words: watching someone you care about face an uncertain future and knowing that you can do absolutely nothing about it. There’s love, there’s concern, there’s helplessness and above all there’s hope. Rather than making it a very emotive, dramatic piece, “Stay a Little Longer” deals with it in a very straightforward way. The title says it all really. It’s the sort of thing you’d say in a quiet moment, when the thought of saying goodbye is just too painful. It’s not asking for forever. It’s just asking for a little bit more time. One of the most powerful aspects of the song is its treatment of time. Life goes on, irrespective of how much we want a moment to hang on. When we’re having the time of our lives with someone we love those moments can pass in a flash. When we’re waiting for some news, waiting for some good news, when we’re hoping for a change in someone’s condition then every minute can seem like an eternity. That’s the very essence of the song really. It’s a very human thing to be able to reflect on how our perception of time changes when someone we love is seriously ill. Suddenly the ordinary, the everyday, the conversation, the company, the simple things all become so precious.
The music itself gives those emotions space to breathe. It’s a song led by the songwriter with the melody, the vocals and the story very much at the forefront. The warm piano is the emotional bedrock of the song and Oleksandra Svyrydenko’s acoustic guitar provides a very organic feel to the recording. Neither of those instruments is really there to compete with the other. They’re there to work in tandem to create that intimate atmosphere which in turn allows the song’s message to come through in a very natural way. The arrangement is absolutely right for the song as it’s so very close and personal, it’s almost as if you’re in the room with the singer having a private chat. Julia Beaudoin (Canadian singer) is the lead vocalist and her performance is absolutely essential to the song as it deals with such a delicate subject. Her delivery is very emotive and lends the song a sense of vulnerability which in turn conveys the fear and love that underpins it. There’s also a very gentle contribution from the Heartbeat Choir (Tayo Olawepo leads them). The backing vocals are very subtle and add a certain warmth and depth without in any way detracting from Julia’s lead. They do broaden the emotional palette a little but don’t at all take away from the song’s intimate nature. The decision to keep the production fairly straightforward is key. With a subject matter of this nature you could easily end up with a whole host of musical clutter and end up distracting from the point. The piano, acoustic guitar and the layered vocals are all there to support the central emotion rather than dominate it. It’s a ballad whose power lies in the feeling of the song and the delivery of the words. It doesn’t need a complex musical arrangement to be effective. Its power is in the feeling and the sincerity of that feeling.
For the flyingSAM, the release also continues the same approach to creation which is all about personal stories and working with musicians and vocalists from all over the world. Previous releases in that vein have been the 2025 EP *Stronger than You Know* (featuring Olya Gram of Ukraine and the Nigerian Heartbeat Gospel Choir) and the October 2026 single “Every Step, Every Dream” which was all about gratitude, trust and the people who stay by you through the tough times. “Stay a Little Longer” takes that same interest in human connection and goes into more vulnerable territory. This time it’s about the possibility of losing someone and the sheer importance of making the most of the time you actually have left. “Stay a Little Longer” isn’t just a song about illness or the fear of death. It’s a song about the love that makes those fears so hard. It’s a song about how the very moments we take for granted can become the ones we hold most dear. With Julia Beaudoin’s emotive vocals, the warmth of the piano and acoustic guitar and the gentle backing of the choir the .flyingSAM provides a very personal experience in a form that people can relate to. It’s a very sweet and genuine reminder to value the people you have around you, because at times all you really want is a bit more time with them.
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