The emotion-led, distance-heavy new track “chicago (ft. Lyncs)” from OAKLND prominently shows how it feels to have love frayed by time and distance. This song is a tale revolving around themes of heartbreak and regret, exploring a connection that is both strong and challenging. The relationship spoken of throughout “chicago (ft. Lyncs)” is one that OAKLND cannot seem to let go, yet the issue of distance has come between them and there’s seemingly no way to fix the issue. They now rely on the internet to keep them together, and while it keeps them in connection, it isn’t the same and it weighs heavily on both parties. Mentions of unspoken confessions, as well as subjects like moving on, create both a familiar and comfortable environment within this track. OAKLND’s in-depth storytelling, including two perspectives, gives character to “chicago (ft. Lyncs)” that is unwavering and, ultimately, just entirely realistic. While themes of heartbreak are scattered throughout the track, there is a sense of longing and love that are there as well that transcends a “typical” romantic narrative.
In this relationship presented through “chicago (ft. Lyncs)”, the audience can relate to both people in this relationship, making the lines blurry. Both people present feelings and emotions that can be seen from either side and they overall piece together both a beautiful and disastrous situation. While this is not an uncommon type of narrative in songwriting, it’s one that’s not as often explored as themes like revenge, heartbreak following the complete dissolvement of a relationship, etc. OAKLND has stated that “chicago (ft. Lyncs)” emerged from a video he viewed online of a girl ending a relationship with her partner due to her moving to Chicago and her partner moving elsewhere. He resonated so much with this story, with these emotions, that he channeled those feelings and resonation and created an EP surrounding these themes. While “chicago (ft. Lyncs)” is a one-of-a-kind pop song that incorporates elements of bedroom pop, indie, etc., there are hints of other artists, such as the 1975, that I cannot help but connect to OAKLND. Both artists have a way of taking real life experiences & emotion, and incorporating that not only into their storytelling but additionally using the overall theme to create a specific sound. Every track may be different, but you can hear the emotion within even the instrumental aspects to these songs, creating a rounding and whole listening experience.
OAKLND is a Scottish-born artist based in both the UK and LA. He focuses primarily on creating sad-laced music and creating a sound of dreamy alt-pop. Since the release of his first single in 2017, OAKLND has now accumulated over 7k monthly listeners on Spotify. At the start of his career, OAKLND found inspiration in LA for his music – inspiring music that includes themes of the west coast as well as sounds associated with that lifestyle. Now, OAKLND thrives in the atmosphere of the west coast and uses this to his advantage to create west coast-based dream pop music. Lyncs, the featured artist in “chicago”, is the project of Jacqueline Hines – American producer and songwriter. She aims to make music that creates an atmosphere as well as demonstrates heartfelt lyrics.
Written By Madison Spies
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