Have you ever wanted to live in the 80s? All the different streaming and TV series set in the 80s, makes me wonder where I could have fit in within this period. Would I have been playing D&D in Mike Wheeler’s basement or participating in ballroom culture alongside Blanca Evangelista? This is a train of thought that is hinted at or touched on within these shows. The undercurrent theme for the bulk of them has been identity – who you are and who you aspire to be. The group Selfish Bodies keeps in tune with the feel of the 80’s but expands on the theme of identity in their latest single, “Disassociated”.
“Disassociated” is a pop-rock single that centers on feeling disconnected from the identity we’ve created for ourselves. The song opens with heavy synths that immediately transport a listener to the 80s and invoke a feeling of nostalgic bliss. Don’t be fooled, though. This is lyrical dissonance at its finest. Despite the upbeat nature of the rhythm and melody, the lyrics tackle a heavy subject; actively undergoing disassociation at the hand of someone else. In the first few lyrics listeners understand that there’s a detachment from a recognized identity. This detachment is solidified when our vocalist begins to call themselves “little scarecrow”. Traditionally, scarecrows are symbolic of death and rebirth – but we land on disassociation when this process has been forced upon us as it has in the single. And I think this transformation has been forced because of the lines “You set me on fire / Even though you say you love me”. When the push for a transformation of this magnitude originates from an external source, you’re bound to feel disconnected from yourself. You might even feel like a foreign entity in your own body, or even a scarecrow – just a pile of straw in old clothing that you once wore. “Disassociated” successfully explores the surreal experience of an identity that's been thrusted upon us.
The Edmonton A.B. trio, Selfish Bodies, came together in February of 2018 under their combined passion for creating cinematic atmospheres, genre-merging writing, and introspective lyrics. The group is fronted by lead singer Brandy Sharpe, with Michelle Bessette on piano, and Garrett Jette on the guitar. They dropped their first EP, Gold Hair, in 2019, and began the new year by releasing “Hideous”. Over the last five years, their passion for creating unique music has evolved into a transformative art that listeners can engage and relate with in various emotional states. To celebrate the alternative pop-rock group’s fifth anniversary, show them some virtual love in the form of streams, likes, and follows!
Written by Giavanna Gradaille
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