NEW SINGLE RELEASE
Beren Olivia- Wake Me Up
English singer-songwriter Beren Olivia began to build their audience during lockdown by sharing their aesthetically pleasing daily life and covers online. Since releasing debut EP ‘Early Hours of the AM’ in 2021, Olivia has continued to rise in popularity and expand their dedicated fanbase.
Olivia’s latest track ‘Wake Me Up’ is a recognisable Will Vaughan production, with the classic indie-pop sound with the dark lyrics captivating the listener from start to finish. The song opens with the line ‘All I’ve been is sleeping now I need you to wake me up,’ as we are taken through the experience of a depressive episode and the hopelessness the protagonist feels as they battle their mental health. We listen as the protagonist falls deeper into this episode and begs for someone to pull them out of their depression by waking them up. The contrast between the dark lyrics and the synth-pop tune of ‘Wake Me Up’ is reminiscent of Vaughan’s 2018 ‘If It Makes You Feel Better’ by babyidontlikeyou.
The repeated pre-chorus of: “I keep fighting it, But I’m scared this times different” highlights the fear of not being able to escape from your depressive mood. In the second verse, the line ‘I’ve been drinking, I’ve been drinking way too much’ shows how the protagonist is depending on unhealthy coping mechanisms to self-medicate their issues with the use of alcohol.
The repetition of the line ‘I don’t even know, I don’t even know me’ creates a feeling of desperation as Olivia continues to beg for someone to wake them up and pull them out of this darkness that they are entrapped in. This is further encapsulated by the change in tempo and the rhythm of the drums which evokes the image of a pounding heart.
As stated on Conversations About Her, Olivia described that they feel it is important to discuss these more uncomfortable topics within their music. While lyrically the song discusses a sensitive and personal topic, the Bleachers-esc bass and drums along with the catchy, repetitive chorus are upbeat enough to keep listeners engaged throughout.
‘Wake Me Up’ is a masterful example of how well achingly vulnerable lyrics and an upbeat 1980s melody blend together to create a gorgeous fusion of indie-pop. With over 92,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Beren Olivia is a name we should all be looking out for this year.
©Copyright. All rights reserved.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.