Photo by: Sarah Rice
Released on September 16, “Tell Me” by Hannah Gross is truly a gem hiding in plain sight. The indie vibe of the track navigates a fuzziness around the vocals and includes distorted percussion in the chorus. The soundscape ultimately reminded me of sweater weather and sitting by a beach on a cloudy day. But it was the lyrics that really pulled me out of this fantasy and gave me a lot to think about.
The idea behind the song charts one’s desire to change. But more importantly, Gross highlights how difficult it can be to ask for it and make that leap. Lyrics like, “You like my hair long, so I cut it to my chin,” and “Said you hated red so now I paint it on my lips,” embody her strong yet futile fight to get back at someone who represents a life she no longer wants. But the overall feeling of the track acts as a plea for compassion and acceptance despite her residual upset from having lived something that no longer feels authentic to her.
In our current Covid era, there are a lot of people who are realizing what they want, what boundaries they need, and what relationships are serving them. In this time of isolation, it’s forced us to consider what’s truly important to us and what changes we want to make that we’ve been too afraid to attempt otherwise. But Gross’s “Tell Me” feels like a purified crystal that has captured the essence of this experience perfectly, begging us to question what change we want to make for ourselves while requesting that our decisions be met with compassion and love from others.
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Written by: Misao McGregor