The Period Anthem We’ve All Been Waiting For: “In My Blood”

Code Red. Stock up on those oversized tees to hide the bloating. Whip out your concealer for the incoming breakouts. And the most dreadful part: brace yourself for those all too real period cramps that leave you crouching on the bed in fetal position for what feels like hours on end. No one could word the struggle better than Shawn Mendes. In his hit single “In My Blood,” the Canadian pop singer perfectly captures what it’s like to cope with lady pains, all in five simple lyrics.

1. “Laying on the bathroom floor, feeling nothing”

You reluctantly work your way to the bathroom in the morning and pick up the toothbrush, when suddenly, your uterus decides to throw a huge toddler tantrum. You worm your way around the bathroom floor, desperately trying to find the ideal position, all the while cursing out Mother Nature for the wondrous gift of period cramps.  

2. “Keep telling me that it gets better, does it ever?”

Your mom tries to reassure you by telling you the cramps are ten times less painful after having kids. So in essence, you have to wait another decade?

3. “No medicine is strong enough”

You finally remember that math class you have to run to in 30 minutes. You throw on your stain-proof black yoga pants and take some pills to get through the day. Advil, Aleve, Tylenol…you’ve tried it all. But nothing can prevent that unpredictable jolt of pain from sneaking up on you while you take notes during lecture. 

4. “I’m looking through my phone again, I’m feeling anxious”

You surf the web for period hacks to ease the pain and can’t help but become even more anxious when consuming more calcium or doing light exercise only seems to make the pain worse.

5. “I need somebody now, someone to help me out”

It’s always better when a parent, sibling, or significant other is there to tend to your needs when your going through such terrible pain, whether it be by offering a heat pack or making late night runs to the grocery store to satisfy your ice cream cravings.

Sure, these lyrics were undoubtedly not intended for portraying the harsh reality behind period cramps, but they are nonetheless quite fitting. So for those gals at home feeling like the whole world is against them for the next seven days, I hope you find some solace in this super relatable Shawn Mendes ballad!

• periods
• Shawn Mendes