The song title itself might prepare listeners for expecting a downer, but in reality, ‘Funeral’ has more hope in its message than sadness. It’s Kennedy's way for a new start. The artist recently described the song via Instagram as being “about burying the past and moving forward into a new light. Being tested but never broken.”
‘Funeral’ grabs the attention from the very first seconds with the drums’ strong beat, subtle piano and Kennedy’s powerful vocals on top. As the song progresses into the chorus, the tempo gets faster. The drums are still at the forefront of the song but the piano picks up the pace too, giving the song a kind of uplifting spirit.
Although ‘Funeral’ doesn’t really start on a positive note lyrically, as it speaks about tension and hard times in a relationship - “we were staring down disaster / that night, we almost called it quits” - it evolves to be more about letting go of the pain and all the baggage. Kennedy's poignant lyrics, such as “we set a fire to our sorrow / and watched the hurt go up in flames”, immediately bring questions to the listeners' minds- is it a song about break-up and starting over as an individual? Or is ‘Funeral’ really about letting go of what’s broken, putting the problems behind you, and moving forward as a couple? Even though the music video, starring Charlie Rowe, might suggest the latter, the listeners can, as usual, decide for themselves what resonates most - and that’s what makes the song even more special.
Paulina Pasturczak
Image: ‘Funeral’ Official Single Cover