It’s been a hot minute since we last heard from dark-pop queen Vaeda Black, but like always, this girl does not disappoint as she delivers new single, “Wake Up.”
“Wake Up” offers a more pop/rock sound than her previous material. Written during quarantine and inspired by her hometown on Long Island, NY, the track delves into that love/hate relationship one may have of their hometown, which let’s be real here: most of us have been feeling this as we are stuck at home these past several months. Also sharing anecdotes on friendship, love, and of course, growing up, “Wake Up” is an anthem for the free spirits out there with the urge to roam.
“Lyrically, I was just writing about how my hometown made me feel. Being there brings up a lot for me. It’s a place that I love, but also desperately want to run away from. I tried to incorporate that tension in the song. The verses are melodically simple, repetitive and monotone intentionally, to represent that “going through the motions” feel. The pre chorus and chorus are the release of that tension. My friends are really my escape from all of the bullshit that consumes my daily thoughts and feelings, so I also wanted to pay homage to them through this song,” shared the singer.
“A really important memory I have of my friends and living on Long Island is going to watch the sunset. We would go everyday after school to different beaches and sit in the back of our cars to watch it. It was our ritual. That’s why I wanted this song to feel like a sunset. When I listen to it now, I can see it clearly. I also used clips of audio from videos I had of my friends as another way to fuel up the nostalgia. The entire piece is about just that. Yes, it is about feeling stuck on a person, in a place, and within myself, but it is more importantly about how much I fucking love my friends and how important they are to my happiness. I want listeners to hear this song and feel that angsty hometown love/hate nostalgia.”
Listen to “Wake Up” below:
https://soundcloud.com/vaedablack/wakeup-vaedablack-mixmaster-final-441k-16b
Vaeda Black is amazing and I absolutely love her