lovelytheband released their newest single, “i should be happy” on Friday, May 8, following previous releases “loneliness for love” and “waste.” Given the band’s style, I expected this song to be upbeat, if not a lyrically a little sad something along the lines of their biggest hit, “Broken.” The single art also led me to believe this, since it was decorated with stickers in the shapes of tulips, rainbows, and a smiling sun.
Contrary to my beliefs, this song is so sad and personal. The overall emotions of the song are punctuated by the soft piano in the background and all throughout my first listen I kept expecting the tempo to pick up to the classic indie pop sound that the band has cultivated for themselves.
Lyrically, the song is simple, but packs a punch. Lines like “I’m not sober, well/There’s parts of me that should be healing/ It’s crazy how/ Your life can change right when you need it,” are short and vague but convey a lot of meaning into the singer’s mental state. Releasing the song during Mental Health Awareness Month was no accident either. Lead singer Mitchy Collins mentioned in an ABC News Radio Interview that the song is about his personal struggle with depression and how it impacts his daily life.
Overall, “i should be happy” is everything that it leads people to believe. It should’ve been a happy song. All of the signs led to it being peppy and upbeat, but the final product was sad. I started thinking about this over the next few listens and the facades that people wear. In order to conceal sadness, we put on a smile and continue on with our lives. This song puts that mental battle into perspective, and how there is more to each other than lies on the surface.
lovelytheband has no album scheduled for release, but I’m hoping that a second album will come out sometime this year and I will be first in line to hear it. Hearing this band grow and evolve has been a pleasure, and I cannot wait to see what they do next.
Comments