By Amani Dobson || Contributing Writer
In 2012, an American electronic band named Chromatics released a single titled “Cherry.” The song begins with a mellow tune that instantly grabs the listeners’ attention. After initially hearing just the introduction, I was compelled to find the song it belonged to. An electronic beat drop follows after a few seconds and suddenly the song goes from being one you would listen to on a rainy day to something you can dance to alone in your room. The mellow essence remains, however, and the duality this song holds makes it quite interesting. It has an upbeat tune, but once the raspy voice of the lead singer reaches your ears, you will be consumed with a wave of sadness. While listening to this song, I cannot tell if it makes me feel like I have loved someone or if I have lost someone. The power that the singer has to make you feel anything like that at all is actually mind-blowing.
Throughout the song, she sings of a love that she can no longer “see the light at the end” for. It is a story of a dying love with a partner that makes her feel “blue” and like she has to “keep running all of the time.” She was waiting for her lover to feel her love, but they have not felt it and she knows that there is no way she can continue on. Ruth Radalet, the lead singer, has a voice with a similar vibe to that of Morrissey from the Smiths, which makes the singing feels like someone is laying your head on a silk pillow and whispering the bittersweet story into your ear. As the song comes to a close, the electronic beat slowly gets stripped away, causing a unique fading effect.
The video for “Cherry” is just as captivating as the actual song. It starts off with a pink background that seems to be filmed on some sort of vintage camera. The light moves around and as the music kicks up, we get a glimpse of Ruth Radalet being painted with the blue and hot pink lights. Once the beat drops, the camera shows different shots of the band playing. You see the keyboard and the drum set, all of which have those neon lights shining on them. The entire music video consists of shots from different angles of the band playing and of Radalet singing. Despite being made in 2012, the music video is comparable to an 80s rock or pop video. The neon lights, the type of camera used for filming, and Radalet’s voice all work in perfect cohesion to create an image that will almost have you hypnotized. It is like you are looking into a kaleidoscope with different colors and images that you can just barely make out. After listening to and watching the video, it is almost certain that the catchy tune and mind-bending visuals will have you in love with this song. I highly recommend giving it a listen. Whether its on a long drive or just in your room, this song is guaranteed to fit that mood.
First-year Amani Dobson is a Contributing Writer. Her email is adobson@fandm.edu.