Ukrainian-American singer, Kelsie Kimberlin, brings together fantasy and normality to create a sweet, natural love story, which is both incredibly vague and yet highly relatable.
Whilst listening to “Hazy Day”, you can be hit with moments where it feels like you have been transported into a fairytale. The high, angelic melodies, the orchestra breaks, the simple backing vocals and the old-fashioned instruments, such as the trumpets, emphasises the high that Kimberlin feels. The love she has is romantic and hypnotic. This song is Kimberlin’s way of showing her audience a keyhole look into her heart, and how her loved ones can make her feel like she has escaped to a fairytale. Her voice sounds very light and peaceful, and represents the weightlessness of falling strongly in love with someone.
Although the song can be compared to a fairytale tune, the verse’s slang snaps the listener back to the modern day and the relationship euphoria that Kimberlin is expressing suddenly feels all too familiar. Even though the notes and melodies are very dreamy, the minimalist vocals and lyrics have a sense of blandness and present a simple average modern kind of
relationship. The listener is allowed to use the song to escape and yet also connect. This relatability is only heightened with the reference to the current unprecedented climate – evident from the very first line, “I woke up in a world so crazy”. These words are so powerful and makes the love explored in the song more tangible and real.
The lyrics are a combination of both old and new language, with phrases like “get naughty” and “hooked up” keeping the story relevant for Kimberlin’s audience. These suggestive lines present a flirtatious, sexy 21st century relationship, however the lyrics all centre around one very interesting phrase in the chorus; “you make me feel soma medicated”.
“Soma medicated” is a term from the 1930’s Aldous Huxley dystopian novel “Brave New World”, “soma” being the drug used by characters in the story to remain blissfully happy, even if bad things are happening.
“Soma” is viewed as a negative aspect of Huxley’s science-fiction world because it destroys free will in the name of peace. Using this phrase in such a positive way in the song, comparing it to the feeling of being completely loved and supported by someone, is intriguing and emphasises Kimberlin’s vulnerability whilst writing the song, and how shamelessly happy she is. The repetition of “soma medicated” makes this idea the main focus of the
track, and it suggests that when you fall deeply in love, you don’t care if you are vulnerable, reliant or submissive to this person. The phrase is used in an accepting, freeing and passionate way, representing Kimberlin’s mental state when she was writing it. As “soma medicated” is surrounded by very modern terms and simplistic language, and is accompanied with a rich and simple blend of different melodies and instruments, it’s intriguing and yet still very relaxing, almost as though Kimberlin’s voice is hypnotising and
drugging you into a sense of calmness.
The music video, whereby several sand paintings are created and simultaneously rubbed away and drawn over, complements these hypnotic, euphoric notes. Potentially, the choice to use sand may have been to create a fragile atmosphere, similar to how Kimberlin feels.
Sand is easily moulded to create a story, and yet also so easily to blow away. Kimberlin is singing from a place of vulnerability, and her lyrics emphasise that. Nevertheless, she is also being supported by love, and it keeps her still and grounded like the sand in the video.
Watching is very soothing, and stress-relieving. Each picture’s beauty is quickly rubbed away, representing how love can be fleeting and temporary. Watching the sand become these beautiful works of art is very therapeutic. It also tells a very fantastical love story, invoking the sense of being free and alone, and then being found and liberated with love.
The colour red is perfect because it gives visual emphasis to the central messages of love, passion, heart and life. The sand pictures are seemingly being created by one person, so the images feel personal, however there is an almost biblical moment where two hands come together, and is transformed into a piece of sand art where the figures are nearly touching.
This symbolises being enlightened, opening up to someone and having a desperate need for their touch, physically and emotionally.
The use of nature is used a lot in the video, from birds to stars, and images of a woman are peppered throughout, to demonstrate the relationship between humanity, or even womanhood, with that of the natural world.
The red heart replaces a forest scene, emphasising Kimberlin’s inner peace during this track. When a hand is created, reaching out towards the heart, flowers bloom from the heart, their stems reaching out for the warmth and
comfort of the hand. This may be a way of representing how beauty and kindness can flourish within us, either when we fall in love, or when we are liberated by loved ones who support and free us. The sand paintings beautifully present isolation and being found. The final shots of the video show a woman covered in red ribbons – potentially symbolising the love she has found surrounding her and keeping her safe – and a silhouette of the couple in an embrace. Together, they complete each other. The video perfectly complements the warm feelings of comfort and belonging that Kimberlin expresses in “Hazy Days”.
Kelsie Kimberlin – Hazy Days is OUT NOW!
