In a perfect world, your own mind is where you should feel the most secure–but often that’s not the case. “How Long” by THENEAR encapsulates the feeling of losing yourself alongside the disconcerting realization that you don’t know how long you’ve been lost and how long it’ll be until you’ll find yourself again. The vocals and quality of the production heighten the song by evoking the aspects of emotion that are too intense for words to fully justify. Although the song focuses on the loss of oneself and the subsequent feeling of being entirely unmoored, it also shows the inherent humanity within these emotions.
“How Long” creates a potent, emotionally charged atmosphere as it explores the very nature of feeling lost. The backing track builds slowly until the chorus, wherein the light piano and echoing notes dramatically quiet to accentuate the deeply moving quality of THENEAR’s hauntingly beautiful falsetto. The lyrics depict painfully relatable sentiments such as “I don’t know how I got here/I don’t know why/Please tell me,” which artfully portray the acute loneliness often synonymous with the human condition. In openly acknowledging this within an extraordinarily emotional melody, THENEAR provides a sense of catharsis by showing audiences that they are not alone.
Hailing from the Gold Coast, contemporary/alternative pop artist THENEAR has always possessed a passion for singing and songwriting, but it wasn’t until after she became a midwife that she felt called to follow it. She uses her music to delve into the intricacies of the human condition, specifically aspiration, mortality, existence, conflict, and growth. Within these themes she focuses on the emotional quality of her music, guiding the listener through waves of emotion inlaid with ethereal tones. Since choosing to actively pursue music, THENEAR has crafted over 60 songs to release. Though she’s relatively new to the music scene, she’s here to stay.
Written By Adelae Norwood
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