“Love Somebody Else” is a melancholic break-up song that contains a hidden meaning behind the solemn lyrics. On the surface, the track appears to convey a typical message about the end of a relationship and looking back on all the damage done. However, Femke has revealed that the background stems from a much sinister place. While living in Los Angeles, she had an ex-boyfriend that turned out to be a stalker. After discovering this darker side of him—the side she never imagined could exist—she wrote “Love Somebody Else.” The track details the moment of realization that the person you fell in love with is not who you thought they were, and that there is another side of them that they kept buried. Containing grim, yet poetic lyrics, Femke eloquently expresses her thoughts and fears about this horrifying situation. In the second verse, she sings “Even the devil was an angel sometimes// Cross my heart and I hope you die,” while in the bridge she sings, “I thought you were good and I thought you were kind// The most dangerous men never wear a disguise// They hide in plain sight, then they leave you behind.” These lyrics indicate the extent of his cruelty and the secret wickedness hidden underneath his charm. With “Love Somebody Else,” Femke discloses her vulnerable past and becomes a voice for victims suffering similar experiences.
The somber storyline of “Love Somebody Else” is flawlessly complemented by the haunting folk-pop production. The song immediately kicks off with the first verse that contains only the vocals and an acoustic guitar. While the guitarist utilizes fingerstyle strumming, the production emits a sound effect that simulates a vintage recording through old speakers. This accentuates Femke’s timeless indie-folk style while instantly capturing the listener’s attention. A slight chord change signifies the transition into the first chorus, where a bass is picked up and the guitar drops the sound effect. The chord progression changes from the verse while some synth effects and layered vocals are added, providing an additional dynamic to the track. The second verse is introduced by a rainstick sound and a chord change, followed by increased synth while the bass mutes. The second chorus returns to the production found in the first, with the addition of drums and the increased synth and echoing vocals. The rainstick makes another appearance as the bridge is introduced with the fingerstyle guitar picking the same chord. As the emotional climax to the track, the bridge contains more bass drums with significant synth and harmonizing vocalizations. The song transitions into the final chorus with extended synth effects that then switch to the fingerstyle chords picked one at a time. The simplification of the guitar brings an extra focus on the compelling vocals singing the heart wrenching lyrics. The last half of the chorus brings back the full production with the bass and background vocals, before closing out the track. The outro ends the song with the unfinished statement “why would you?” leaving the listener pondering over Femke’s final thoughts.
Femke is a Dutch singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. She moved to the United States over 10 years ago to pursue her career in music. After living in Boston and Los Angeles, she decided to set up shop and open her own studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Not only has she made music for herself, but she has also collaborated with other artists and has worked as a composer and singer for the film and TV industries. Femke has composition credits on ABC’s 10 Things I Hate About You and sang beside Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus on the soundtrack for the 2009 film Fired Up. An impressive accomplishment in the artist’s career is her Latin Grammy award win for her contribution on Beto Cuevas Transformación album. With an extensive history working with other artists, Femke is ready to venture off on her own with her upcoming debut EP, Safe in the Suburbs. Keep an eye out on her socials for the remaining three songs from the 5-track project!
Written By Karlee Skipper
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