Music Review // REII "Carrie"

 

Right now is not only a good time to have a song come out about Carrie because it is October and thus Halloween but also because there is a new series of the same name out on streaming as well.  Though I haven't watched the series yet, when I do I will certainly be thinking of this song.   The way in which REII explores the limits of pop on "Carrie" are a reminder of how music can influence the lyrics.  While this song is about the titular character, it can have a vibe also of something like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" just as well.

One of the first lines that sets the tone in this song says "I bit down so hard / All I taste is blood / Yum".  As the song goes on there is the chorus which says "Don't be scared, my demons just want to play" and for the most part as these lyrics play out they also have the music to accompany them in a way which seems fitting.  I also like to think of this as being somewhat like something out of a Tim Burton film, as the musicals can have that way about them where the lyrics and music line up together but the songs then also have those unique parts.

At its heart, "Carrie" is a song about empowerment.  The lyrics leading up to the chorus are about "Grabbing my wrist, blocking the door" and that shows someone being the aggressor and trying to make someone else do what they want.  But that turns into "Oh what fun, see Jack run" and how the person who could be thought of as the victim has now turned the tables and taken over that role of not being one to mess with.

I am someone who 100% subscribes to the idea that men need to leave women alone.  But if a man does decide to use poor judgment, I am also of the belief that the woman should be allowed to do what she will in self defense.  This song is appropriate for the month we are in, yes, but it is also appropriate for the times we live in when you have incidents like at Cornell making the news and just everything involving a certain president right now.  "Carrie" is a fun song to add to your Halloween playlist, but it also is a nice reminder that women can have that atittude towards men of touch me and I'll rip your head off.