Emily Nguyen, Week #1: Look into the mirror, tell me what I am
While putting off writing this very blog, I found the song "Spoken For" by FLAVOR FOLEY. Its charming instrumental instantly hooked me—I’m easily swayed by music and am open to virtually any genre you could name.
I’ve listened to FLAVOR FOLEY before stumbling upon this song, so I recognized their style immediately—yet, this song is just so uniquely snazzy with pops of saxophone gracing my ears. This trio of producers is exceptionally creative in how they have a way of imbuing a catchy essence in their music. Beyond musical content, the lyrics called to me, cliche as it is… why else would I mention some random song in a blog about identity and language? Vocal synth songs aren’t typically liked by people who listen to general pop, R&B, and rap, so naturally I would hesitate to write about this. But I couldn’t stop listening to it as I brainstormed all the acceptable things I could blog about, so here we are.
I don’t mind not being able to understand lyrics. I listen to tons of foreign music. But hearing lyrics that actually penetrate my unconscious mind and appeal to that ever-desirable sense of relatability is something I will gladly accept. “Spoken For” is a perfect example.
To start, the first pre-chorus; a standard, lowkey edgy metaphor:
“Caught up in routine
Can they see the person beneath?”
So you know this song’s going to relate to masking who you are, going to describe being a shell of yourself simply going through the motions. But this is typical stuff. What strikes me about this song is its choruses. Here’s a portion of the first chorus:
“Showered in fame, my fans adorе me
Only way to f*** it up is to be boring”
This is honestly very relatable to me, even if it seems I’m reaching. I don’t have fans (duh). But I do have underclassmen who look up to me. I have friends who expect a bit more of me. And when I can’t reply to something—when I can’t banish the threads stitching my lips together, I feel disappointing. People expect me to be quirky because of how eccentric I am sometimes (not trying to portray that “quirky Emily type”), but I really am just my boring self. I have lots of insecurities, sure. I do strange things; I carry odd belongings. But deep down, I’m just whoever you want to think I am. I’m not all that. And in the very next lines of this chorus, it reads:
“I don't get thе messages, they don't come to me
Everything that I can say is spoken for me…”
You can see why I am so drawn to this song now.
“Oh, I could be a canvas
I could be a doll
I don't think I'm even something real at all
I could be a woman
I could be a man
Look into the mirror, tell me what I am”
This is from the bridge of the song—lyrics that strangle me every time I listen. It pretty much sums up prior identity crises that lay important to my personal history. But that mirror line does things to my heart. I truly wish I could have it all figured out as other people do. What a silly little song to brainstorm to!
Lyrics, Image: "Spoken For"
Hi Emily, I really admire how moved you are to song you just discovered. Even having never heard this song myself, I am still able to see why it is so meaningful to you with the lyrics you have included. I can relate to feeling pressure put on me from the people around me and it is really cool that you were able to find that same feeling in a song. I will definitely be listening to this song the next time I feel like discovering new music.
ReplyDeleteI adore how you chose to mention the more mundane parts and your take on them along with the parts that spoke more to you Emily! It adds a nice flow to the structure and helps me visualize the order of the song which smoothens my reading of the post. Your authenticity and honesty throughout the post are also just so strong. I envy your courage to be able to share this with others even though you were likely fearful of how it would be received. The choice of describing the lyrics as ‘strangling’ is a really clever detail and gives me a lot of insight into how much the lyrics mean to you. Don’t worry about not having it all figured out, even the best of us struggle to plan out the future, and I’m sure you will do great in your future endeavors!
ReplyDeleteI am currently listening to “Spoken For” as I am typing! Describing the instrumental as charming is very accurate. I also don’t generally listen to vocal synth songs, but I believe you may have got another person hooked on this song! I also appreciate your transparency in your commentary of how you personally relate to the song. Describing the lyrics from the bridge as “strangling” is especially revealing. On my first listen, even though I knew it was coming, I was caught off guard. I can also relate to that pressure of being perceived as a person. I hope you are doing better, and if other people really have it all figured out? I think I’ll join you in not having it figured out.
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