Music Review // AMAARA "Bright Lights"

 

When this music video first starts, we see someone looking like they're at a photo shoot or a video shoot but then they ask to take a pause because they get a phone call.  As the person goes into a car, the subtitles are come up "inaudible", but another person grabs a camera and starts recording what looks like a private conversation.  This made me immediately think the person would get out of the car annoyed and this was going to be a song about boundaries.

But as AMAARA has crafted this delicate ballad which reminds me of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, the lyrics and tone of the rest of the video suggest otherwise.   The idea of the "Bright Lights" is based on the city and leaving that all behind.  Throughout this video you'll seen scenes from nature including flowers, a tree which is climbed and even rocks near the water.  There's just something overall about this video and song being about getting back to nature.

At the same time, there are these words about "can't rewind the heart" and "came up from the blind side".   This makes it seem as if the conversation at the beginning of the video was something drastic, such as a break up, which would send this person from the bright lights of the city (being with that other person) to the solitude of nature (no longer being in that relationship)  I'm not sure I've seen a relationship referenced in this way before, but I'm all in on the nature comparisons.

This music video really stands out because of the way it comes across.  It has those elements of being the type of music video you'd see on MTV back in their prime day.   But now you also have this song that is just sweet in its vibe, a little bit sullen, and the combining of the two just works.  This song feels like the soundtrack to this music video and that's exactly how it should be.  Definitely go out of your way to experience both.