X Lovers' "Sweatshirt" Is a Sweet, Somber Song to Curl Up in
Photo: Angelo Kritikos
READ: X Lovers Is a Shared Childhood Dream for World Domination
Northern California pop-rockers X Lovers took a turn for the sentimental with their latest single "Sweatshirt." London Jackson and Jacob Ames left their hometown, drove south to Los Angeles, California, and haven't looked back ever since. Now with a growing cult fan base and a fresh alternative sound, the duo looks to leave an even bigger impression on the world.
“Sweatshirt" makes you want to reach out and give Jackson a hug. With a gentle rocking chair melody, "Sweatshirt" is akin to a blanket draped over a set of shoulders. Icy blue tones dominate, giving the song a chilling coolness. A sort of tormented London appears on the beach at twilight. He slugs along in wet sand with his sneakers on, making walking harder for himself. Visibly hurting, it's evident something is eating at him.
The loneliness of the video is just as haunting as the song's origin story. The song comes from a strikingly deep place for X Lovers' singer, Jackson. Jackson spoke on the track, sharing,
"Since my dad had been diagnosed with a terminal disease two years ago, one of the ways my sadness and anxiety about this comes out is through nightmares. The morning before I wrote the song, I had woken up from a terrible nightmare about my little brother who I’m super close with. I drove an hour to Malibu and was sitting there alone, in my sweatshirt, and the lyrics just came to me - 'I find a place inside my sweatshirt that beats all reality'."
There's a beautiful voicemail from London's mom that plays as the outro of the song, a sweet check-in, making sure he is okay.
Watch the video for "Sweatshirt" below:
