One of my earliest memories of interacting with YouTube is finding a short, one minute and fifty-four second video of two sisters singing. This was around the time that Pitch Perfect came out with the cup song and soon, everyone was using cups to make beats for songs.
These two young, creative and talented sisters sat singing “Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn in front of what looked like a paper bag type material background each underneath their names, Lennon and Maisy. Their soulful sounding voices flowed so perfectly with each other and took the world by storm. Soon enough after making more videos, the girls were cast on the CMT show, Nashville, where they stayed on the show for all of its six seasons.
Lennon Stella, the nineteen year old Canadian born singer has released her own EP after long awaited years. Love, me which was released on Nov. 16, has easily shown that Miss Lennon Stella means business. But not only that, she’s also incredibly passionate about her music and getting her listeners to feel exactly what she feels as she sings. I don’t even know guys, she just gets it. Go find Love, me and let me explain…
Bad
This was her first song off the EP which was released as a single back in September. The first time I had heard it, I was vibing along with the catchy beat and tune, but I wasn’t really following along with the lyrics that unfold a story we all know way too well in our own ways.
“I wish that you would have treated me bad, the truth is you couldn’t have loved me better, now I’m left feeling twice as sad, I wish you would have treated me bad.” The way I took this: the break-up hurt so much more because you actually were good to me and you did all of the right things (technically). If you had treated me badly, then I would be more pissed than sad. And sometimes when dealing with a breakup, being pissed helps get over things a lot more.
Of course, the situation in the song is much different from the situation that I was reminded of from my past but still, it resonated with me. It’s an interesting take on a time where you’ve been cheated on because Lennon seems to be almost commemorating him on how good he did with hiding it. He treated her “just like a princess” where “every answer was always yes” and had her “living in a dream” but really, he forgot to mention that he’d “been seeing someone else for six years.” Ouch. Honestly, props to her for taking this incredibly wise outlook on the situation.
Breakaway
Because this was another single before the EP had come out, I had previously heard it and fell in love. Deeply in love. As someone who is used to feeling every kind of emotion under the sun who then went to feeling absolutely nothing (and sometimes still has issues with that), hearing her simply say, “I apologize, my emotions are hidin,” I felt understood and almost envious that she had written it before I had. While it’s so simple, it’s so elegant and perfectly captures how it feels (pun intended) when you can’t feel anything. It’s just one of those lines that if you get it, you really get it.
It’s incredible how she’s connected the lyrics to the music as well; it all just completes one another. “Breakaway” is all about how the world can be too much sometimes, and how life and growing up can easily get out of hand which leads to this uncontrollable feeling of wanting to flee.
Our fight or flight instincts kick in and “the ground and the ceiling seem to be disappearing.” Therefore, we can only fly and break away. The pre-chorus and chorus work so seemingly flawless together, it’s as if Lennon had taken a pin and needle to thread them together, and pulled so tightly that it’s quite impossible to have one without the other; they’re a perfect fit.
The chorus itself is uncomplicated and clear, the opposite of what one in this position would feel. It clicks together what those who experience this have a hard time putting together themselves. Thank you Lennon for literally putting our discomfort and ruffled thoughts into a beautiful song.
Feelings
Oh gosh, this song. This is one that makes me laugh because automatically my mind thinks about times where I wanted to scream this chorus but didn’t because I was too afraid to. “Feelings” is your thoughts when it’s just become too late for someone; you’ve moved on, you’re completely over it and NOW they want to talk about things.
Instead of talking it through the second you asked them to, they come to you months later with honesty. Yeah babe, sorry, “I don’t want to talk about your feelings, I don’t want to listen as you feel ‘em.” The overused line that has to be experienced for one to know is true, “you don’t know what you have till it’s gone” is a big theme in this song. This is a song for those who have had people come back into their life who had promised that they’ve changed and that they have time now for this relationship.
But things are much different now for you. You know that you’re better than going back to someone who had to take all that time to find things and bring it back to you…you know that you deserve someone who would have had brought it all to you already.
[Image Taken from Lennon Stella’s Instagram]
La Di Da
If you happen to pass me while I’m driving and see me holding my ears as I scream words you can’t hear, I’m probably listening to this song. The dancing-jitter-bug makes a return! The second you hit play and hear the initial beat drop after Lennon does a soft introduction to set the scene, your foot will be tapping and your head will be bopping.
There are loads of people in the world who will always have the last word, spread unnecessary and childish drama that’s said to hurt others. “La Di Da” captures what plays in your head when you’re face to face with someone like that and they’re discussing their unwanted words. “You’re gunna say something you don’t mean so just before you take it too far, I’ll hold my ears, say La Da Da Di Da…” I couldn’t have said it better myself, Lennon. When you’re dealing with people that live for drama, this is exactly how you have to handle it. Block ‘em out, baby!
This song is ferociously catchy and automatically puts the listener in a good mood. It’s fun, thrilling and youthful sounding.
Fortress
I’d like to say that Lennon has saved the best for last but really, all of these songs are truly outstanding in their own ways. “Fortress” speaks on behalf of those of us who have decided to just put up a wall that blocks out a specific person. They’ve messed us up so much that they’ve “turned a lover to a savage” and we’re at the point where we’re fed up with being messed around with. We aren’t a doll that can be placed on a shelf when they find other toys to keep them occupied; we won’t wait around to be picked back up.
“You don’t get in my brain, you don’t fill up the spaces, I don’t whisper your name now that I built a fortress.” By building this wall up, we’re taking charge of what we allow into our lives and what “messes” with us, per say. I for one, know exactly what Lennon means when she says, “So badly wanted something so, I let you keep takin’ me up, up, in the madness.” When things in life are at a standstill, specifically a love life, we have a tendency to latch onto anything that is given to us to fill that void. And when you long for something so much, you’ll take what you can and try hard to mold it to be what you want.
But that’s not how things work a lot of the time… if you need to build a fortress to keep someone out of your brain and to keep them from messing with you, then do it. Build up that damn wall and lock them out. Be your own protector and stand with your head held tall, guarding your heart.
Love, me is just a small peak inside of Lennon Stella’s intricate mind, the abilities she possesses when it comes to making people feel things and the ability to be so precise in describing what she feels. It’s safe to say that I cannot wait to see what this one has up her sleeve. I have a feeling this is just the very beginning of her.