Song of the Week w/c 28th April 2025

Earlier this week (by which I mean last week, because this is coming out tragically late) I was mentioning to Anna that vitality of yearning in stories, and that combined with my soon-to-be mentioned song of the week directed the week's theme (which is, of course, yearning). Speaking of being tragically late, this was largely precipitated by the great show (or, gig as the brits appear to say) we were at this Sunday, so seeing as we're discussing music I will take the opportunity to shout out NOT SOUP who were clearly the stand-outs both musically and performance-ally (?), and also were kind enough to give me a rad sticker. I will also shout out Retail Store, who I wasn't familiar with prior. Very funky stuff, would recommend you give them both a listen if you haven't already.

Anyway, let's get into this week's discussion. An album filled with absolute yearning-based classics is Panic! at the Disco's Vices and Virtues. I think I've mentioned it at least once before, and I'm sure I will do so again as it's at the very least one of my favourite albums, if not my all-time favourite. It certainly helps that in the equation of enjoyment, nostalgia plays almost as large a role as goodness. I love it so so much and could go on and on about all of the songs, but I will attempt to restrain myself (genuinely easy enough right now because I am so tired and have a date in the woods dictating my sleep schedule). Off of this album I have chosen Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...). It's such a joyous song to me. I've loved this album a very long time, and I've become very familiar with all the little quirks of it. If I had to pick a lipsync song on short notice, this would certainly be on the list. Each little part is indelibly written into my brain, a well-worn groove around the record. From the random children singing in French at the start to the dramatic crescendo of the chorus before each, well, chorus it's a perfect 10 of a song. Urie sings, "Ever since we met/ I only shoot up with your perfume/ It's the only thing/ that makes me feel as good as you do", and god will I belt it every time. There's just something about the layered voices, intertwining violins, just-weird-enough lyrics that make it a pitch-perfect yearning song through and through. God, wow, what a song. Can you tell I seriously considered whether it should be my song of the week? Unfortunately, I decided I should probably not just keep putting all of Vices & Virtues on the list, although we'll see if I stick by that.

Next up, we've got Get Used to It by Ricky Montgomery. I fucking LOVE Ricky Montgomery and this song is one I've listened to on repeat at all stages of my life. I saw him surprise open for mxmtoon a couple years ago and it was one of the best nights of my life. This was before his new album had come out, so still at the point where he'd released one album in 2016 and barely anything else, so I was absolutely starved (and, shocked that he'd be performing without an album to support). Anyway, this is a song that captures so so well the feeling of yearning for a life you may never be able to lead. "Used to go to university/ Used to be the head of varsity" he sings, lamenting the easy picture-perfect life he used to lead. But, hey, this is your life now, and you can keep on hoping and hoping, but you get used to it. You get used to the wanting, and you get used to the not having. This isn't part of the listening assignment for this post, but I really would recommend his sophomore album Rick - I get the impression it's much less popular than his debut ended up being (TikTok, urgh), but it's another contender for favourite album for me, and I listened to it constantly on repeat last year. A great mix of fun punchy songs (Boy Toy, Don't Say That) with heart-wrenching gut-punching songs (Black Fins, Sometimes I Need To Be Alone). In fact, I will note that Black Fins is a really horribly tragic song - parental suicide is never an easy one - but Ricky Montgomery's willingness to crack open his heart and write this music, and the way he does it so so well, is something I'm forever thankful for. It's a song that made me feel seen in a way very very few other things ever have (other than Alison Bechdel's Fun Home (oh yeah baby, we're two brackets deep and now you're getting book reviews)), and yes I cry every time I listen to it but I get to share this weird fucking space with him, and that's something.

Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance is another absolute blast from the past for me, as are many of the songs on this list. I don't know if my read on it is correct, but I know what it's always meant to me. It's extremely typical of all the songs on Welcome to the Black Parade, in both subject matter and tone. But there's one thing about it, that tips it over the edge to being the best on the album (imho) - the coda that repeats "I am not afraid to keep on living/ I am not afraid to walk this world alone". Combined with the frankly awesome music video (violence; fire; gerard way (actually I just looked up the wiki page for the song and it turns out that all the band members also got seriously injured while making the video, so I suppose I should watch it a bunch more to really recognise their sacrifice)) it was one I listened to on repeat throughout highschool. When I felt really miserable and all I wanted was to be better, to not be trapped inside of myself, to escape in any way possible, it was always there. I've heard a lot of stories about what it's actually about, but my favourite is that it's about Mikey Way (Gerard's brother) - there's something horribly sweet about him writing the song for his brother, and his brother getting to perform it with him. The story goes that Mikey was in a really bad place, and Gerard was terrified of losing him - he wrote the song to try and give him a message to hold on to. It's a song that is made out of hopes and dreams, really and truly.

And, finally, my song of the week. Jazz hands and a drum roll, please, everyone. This week I've chosen Kiss City by Blondeshell. I know, we're all terribly shocked. Look, I couldn't not choose it. It's one of the best 30-minute songs I've ever listened to, if a little repetitive. Look, I could just say "it's good" and you'd all believe me, but I'm going to do a little bit of poetry analysis for you here. Here's my thing; this is also an all-time yearning song. My thesis is that it's a song about being desperate for connection (and, one would hope, obtaining it). But the desire is a vital part of the song. Blondeshell sings, "I'm adjacent to a lot of love", which I think is a really important line. While lyrics like, "Just look me in the eye when I'm about to finish" and "It turns me on/ When you tell me you're not going away" make it clear that she is looking for connection with some unnamed other person, adjacent is the operative word here. She's close to love, but is she experiencing it? Or just wishing she was? I also think it's pretty relevant that in lines like, "I think my kink is when you tell me that you think I'm pretty" and the aforementioned, "Just look me in the eye when I'm about to finish" that even in this clearly sexual scenarios, the focus is firmly on the simple connection-based actions; looking someone in the eye, telling someone they're pretty. She wants to be seen in a way that is deeper than just being observed, and object. Anyway, most of this is immaterial to my enjoyment of the song, which is entirely based around yelling KISS!!! CITTYYY !!!!!, but it's fun to think about nonetheless.

Alright, love y'all, and I hope you all get what you want rather than yearning for it forever. Although, as I discussed, isn't there something pure about yearning sometimes? It's the wanting, and the not having. Oh yeah.

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