The Sound’s Psychological Songs
“She’s not afraid to open up about what she’s been through, which makes her even more endearing.”
I was kind of surprised to see families with kids at the Girl in Red show at The Sound. There were some families with really young kids, like 5 or 6 years old, but also some families with teenagers. BTW, fan Savannah got into Girl in Red in middle school. All her friends were listening. “I’ve been hooked ever since,” she says. She loves the song “Bad Idea,” which is about how inviting a certain girl over was a bad idea, because, as she sings, “You put your hands under my shirt/And unhooked my bra/And said/’Darling, you’re so pretty and it hurts,’ and now, ‘I just can’t love you more.’ It’s a weird love song that’s like, ‘This is totally nuts,’ but that’s Girl in Red.
Candace’s favorite Girl in Red song is “Dead Girl in the Pool.” The song starts creepy as a girl wakes up in a rundown house after a party to find a dead girl in the pool. Then it gets creepier. “This house sucks” turns into “My heart sucks,” and “There’s a dead girl in the pool” turns into “I’m the dead girl in the pool.” She asks, “Is this real or fake?” and laments that she’s in a “creepy dream that I can’t escape.” Candace thinks the song is “so unconventional and fun,” and there’s no denying that it’s very catchy. I like it, too. But I can see how someone could hear it and think, “Maybe Girl in Red isn’t for me.”
“There’s a song about serotonin,” says Candace’s friend Morgan. In it, our girl sings, “I get stuck with intrusive thoughts/ Like they’re setting my hair on fire/ Like they’re hurting the people I love/ Will they ever really stop?” She worries that her therapist doesn’t like her, all because she’s “low on serotonin.” A lot of Girl in Red’s songs talk about mental health. Eliana loves “Lou,” a song that makes it clear that she “hates the way my brain is wired/ I can’t trust my mind, it’s a liar.” Her problem isn’t heartbreak, it’s brain failure. The grey matter goes haywire, and the self turns against itself. Alex supports that. “I think that’s important. A lot of people identify with music for that purpose — mental health — so I think it definitely plays a big role, and that’s a good thing.”
Savannah, on the other hand, thinks mental health comes up in songs because “it’s less stigmatized than it is for older generations. I think it’s more talked about.” Eliana isn’t so sure about the stigma part. “This might be debatable, but I think we’re privileged. We have more time to do things we don’t have to do. Like farming? Do you think those people care about mental health? They just have to work.” Bowie isn’t so sure about it being talked about more. “It’s not mainstream when you talk about it among your peers, but when idols and celebrities talk about it, it becomes relatable because as artists you already relate to it. So when they talk about the issues you face, it’s even more relatable.”
Simone agrees: “In 2020, I had just started college and I listened to her songs on Spotify and related to a lot of her lyrics, which corresponded to what I was going through at the time. I think we’re a new generation that understands compassion. She’s not afraid to open up about what she’s been through, and that makes her even more endearing.” Her boyfriend Tanner adds: “It’s not embarrassing to come out about mental health issues now. It’s more accepted now. People have been struggling with it since the beginning of humanity, so it’s cool to see.”
But it’s not all trouble and trauma tonight. Simone and Tanner are in a relationship. Simone likes Girl in Red because she likes Girl in Red: “Her hits were really catchy.” Simone wears pink because she wears pink. It’s a little twist. “I usually dress very masculine, but this time I wanted to surprise him a little bit, so I dressed very feminine. I was going for a super feminine vibe. I was like, ‘Put on some cargo pants and live your best life,’ and Simone was like, ‘Sure.’ But then I showed up in a skirt and she was like, ‘Oh my gosh, who are you?’ And I was like, ‘I’m a girl! That’s amazing!'” I think they’re cute. Ken and Barbie, but without the angst.
