In preparation for her debut album, ’Pity Party’ is the first look into what she has in store for fans.
At its core the track is a bold and relatable commentary on Lydia’s feelings surrounding life as a whole. It explores quite a lot of dark themes despite its upbeat tempo, which arguably makes for the perfect combination. She’s able to depict her struggles whilst still poke fun at herself almost, retaining the classic and fun dance-a-long element of a true pop song. The instrumental starts the song off softly with just a piano before the constant drum sound kicks in to build up to the chorus, although it’s recurring, it stabilises the chaotic feelings Lydia sings about.
Throughout her verses is when she speaks her truth the most, mentioning how her “Mood shows up on a conveyor belt” almost as though she has no control over them, and has to deal with what comes up for her as quickly as she can. She mentions having difficult relationships with food, friends and even herself in a very casual way, “said I ate my lunch, what’s another lie” and “I promise that I won’t cut my arms / cause I’m so sick of having long sleeves on my body”, which highlights how widely understood these issues are. They aren’t meant to bring the listener's mood down but to act as a comfort to know that these situations don’t define people.
One main theme of the song is clowns, the chorus and music video being the most obvious references to this with the lyric “Lips big and red like a clown / it’s all just a pity party” and Lydia’s actual red clown outfit in the video. Again this just shows her ability to make fun of herself but also lets others know that it’s okay to do that, especially given the darker nature of her words, it doesn’t all have to be negative. As she has her own pity party throughout the music video, she’s featured in rather mundane locations like at a store and walking down different streets, but still jumping around and making the situation about herself which sometimes is just needed. Her lyric “So cry for me or get out” only emphasises the necessity of a cathartic wallowing.
As a whole ‘Pity Party’ seems to be a completely authentic Lydia Night track, screaming with personality. With lots more to come she’s certainly drumming up excitement through her social media pages, as she shares behind the scene content and teasers for potential upcoming singles, documenting her time as she adjusts to a solo career, fans are eagerly waiting for more. Her unique transparency is undoubtedly setting her journey apart from most and offers another lens for her creativity to shine.
Emma Turner
Image: ‘Pity Party’ Official Single Cover
