beabadoobee Eloquently Moves Forward in “the way things go”
“There's so much left to say, I guess I'm just the bigger guy / And there's too much on my mind, that I don't even want to try.”
One of the strangest things about a relationship ending is knowing that you will only have ever known that person—your ex—for the period of time the two of you were together, and they will only ever know the version of you that existed for that exact sliver of time. You might like pop music now, they might like seafood now, and the two of you might be completely different people than the people who were once the center of each other’s worlds. In beabadoobee’s new single, “the way things go,” the Filipina-English singer-songwriter eloquently captures this final feeling of letting go in the only way she knows how—by creating an ethereal, magical, and twinkling dreamland for the listener to get lost in.
In every way, “the way things go” reflects the idea of being at peace with the fact that someone once near and dear has faded into a distant memory. This person no longer lives rent-free in your mind, and finally, you are able to see the world through a pair of eyes that are completely your own. Over a mellow acoustic guitar, beabadoobee sings, “Can’t remember how to say your name / Let alone count the freckles on your face.” Throughout the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, beabadoobee comes to realize her time is better spent focusing her energy on the present, ultimately concluding, “And I don’t mind, that’s just the way things go.” Sometimes, you have to come to terms with the cards life deals you, and that’s just the way it goes.
Sonically, “the way things go” exists in the same realm as “glue song,” where the storytelling and sound feels bright with a sense of childlike wonder, like a never-ending honeymoon stage. The production of “the way things go” mimics its themes of acceptance, the slightest bit of sass, and self-love as a slow crescendo of whimsical whistles and cinematic strings accompany beabadoobee’s soft vocals.
beabadoobee’s voice is what I imagine that of an angel’s might sound like, and the official music video for “the way things go” has managed to perfectly transform her sound into a beautifully ornate work of visual art straight out of the Louvre. Directed by Jacob Erland, we are teleported into a post-Beatopia coquette fantasy—one that is decorated with satin ribbons, prim and proper ballerinas, fresh florals, and all things Sandy Liang, Old-English elegance, girly-pop core. beabadoobee adds her signature grunge to the picture, wearing a messy bun and black on black outfit that shows off her tattoos, as she reminisces and sings and dances along with the people around her. The visuals are chef’s kiss, and you can’t help but smile knowing that it was captured by beabadoobee’s other half.
Watch "the way things go" below:
