Some of the most painful times in life are the subtler ones, where nothing is going explicitly wrong or explicitly right. The waiting period–of waiting both for you to love yourself and for someone else to choose you–can be incredibly draining, especially when things continually don’t work out and it feels as though the world is against you. “Bad Luck” by Laura Lang explores the essence of toxicity, showing the painful duality between the wish to be with someone who loves you back and the reality of staying with the wrong person or being alone completely.
The song’s composition is excellent, reminiscent of Car Seat Headrest’s subtler numbers with its slow burn intro and soft rock chords. Each aspect of “Bad Luck” holds its own, with no one facet carrying the song. Lang’s vocals are strong and ethereal without being overpowering and add to the wistful, slightly bitter atmosphere. In lines such as “this isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last,” “sink your teeth into me and make me stay” and “petrified of the light but in darkness I'm afraid/what would happen if anybody knew,” Lang aptly probes the often confusing depths of choosing to stay when you know you shouldn’t. She goes on to say “diagnosed with bad luck/I’m tired of endlessly chasing for somebody to love/I’ll never have,” showing the emotional exhaustion that can go hand in hand with both settling and feeling lonely for too long.
Laura Lang is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She consistently works with producer Calvin Lauber and places emphasis on the storytelling aspect of her music, focusing on transforming inner dialogue, misfortune, and her experiences with those around her into deeply personal music. She’s been pursuing music from a very young age and it has been and continues to be her motivation. Recently, Lang has been focusing on her upcoming project Bad Luck, beginning with her single Black Sedan. It marks a stylistic departure from the more organic sounds of her earlier work, featuring dissonant chords and punchier drum sounds to create an effect of desperation. She immerses herself in art in order to enhance her own creativity in ways such as learning about other musicians and their creative processes, listening to new music, and studying physical art. Though Laura Lang is new to the music scene, she possesses musical prowess far beyond her years and is sure to make an impact.
Written By Adelae Norwood
FOLLOW LAURA LANG: