A platonic friendship is one of the most valuable relationships in the world. You gain a pillar of support filled with inside jokes, quality time, and a love so fierce it rivals that of true love. The only downside to this wonderful feat of life is when the line between platonic and romantic blurs. Even worse - when only one of the parties’ lines blurs. PEPTALK’s recent release “Close Friend” details this circumstance through a buoyant background track coupled with intricate lyrics. The entire song is fast paced, but this is spotlighted when the chorus explodes in a cacophony of drum beats and intense vocals. This highlights the frustrated feeling this situation brings out, and the hightenting of the background beats ties with this. All of the elements of this track come together to create a potential song of the summer - real life experiences with a beat you can dance to.
The background beats of this song are crucial to the bright vibe it gives off, but the lyrics are what truly progress the story. Without listening, it seems like a typical upbeat song, but upon closer review the quick beats aren’t depicting happiness - rather exasperation. The chorus sings, “Oh you're not even trying / Oh and I'm dying”. This is such a feeling that listeners can relate to in the context of unrequited love in a friendship. It is so easy to develop feelings for that one special person, even if they’re not trying. The chorus continues into “I know I'm never gonna be an option / The closest thing I can be is a close friend”. The singer has given up the idea that they could ever be more, hence the title of the track. A close friend is all they will ever be to their love.
PEPTALK is an all-female and self produced band from Australia. It stars Jay-Lee Kwan on the keys, Lara Frew on the bass, and Phoebe Sinclair as lead vocals. Their songs center around their pop sound and skillful songwriting, as all three have written for various artists around the world and their own solo careers. The group also prides themselves on being representative of minorities in the music industry, a goal that they set after growing up without this representation themselves. The group is two thirds queer and two thirds POC, along with all three being female. These simple facts have led the group to a large following of people thankful to see artists that depict them on stage. Make sure to follow the social media below to stay up to date with PEPTALK and any new music.
Written By Tessa Maddaloni
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