By Rebecca Kasuba, Staff Writer
We’ve all had a relationship, whether a crush or partner, that we never want to let go of despite how toxic. The song "If Our Love Is Dead" by Royel Otis has that relatable theme tied into it. If I had to summarize my love for this song, I’d say it's a shorter song with an indie rock vibe that’s easy to listen to because of its upbeat qualities and, overall, relatable lyrics. But, Rebecca, tell me how you really feel…Okay, let’s do it!
What is This Melody?
Holy cow this song is catchy! If you want a song to be stuck in your head for the end of time I wholeheartedly recommend that you give "If Our Love Is Dead" a listen. Even though the song is a little bit shorter than a standard song on the radio it still really packs a punch and feels complete. This is because of the strong emphasis on drums throughout the song. You always feel the beat driving you and making you want to dance. Trust me, I’m living that reality as I write this. Another big thing I listen for is good guitar riffs throughout. This song delivers on that in the chorus and main melody of the song. It truly makes the song easy to listen to especially if you’re into indie rock vibes. The last thing I listen for is how repetitive the chorus is; this song has a perfect balance making it very catchy. The lyrics help with this aspect of the song, so let's look a little closer…
Wow, She’s Really Good (At Writing Lyrics!)
The lyrics in "If Our Love Is Dead" by Royel Otis really hit hard despite this song's upbeat nature. It’s tricking you into jamming out but really you’re crying on the inside, very relatable (for me at least). So let’s break this down. Starting with the chorus we see the lyrics: “If our love is dead, what are we holdin’ on to?” This represents the feelings of wanting to let go of a relationship, perhaps romantic. Then verse two continues with: “It’s killing me, I’m wishing you would stay, but you’re not wrong.” Here we see conflicting feelings of the situation and how these feelings of wanting to let go are questionable. It’s obvious that the song is exploring complex feelings about letting go of loved ones. It’s a hard and humbling experience to go through and the song expresses that through its lyrics. So, even though it may seem upbeat, if we look closer into the lyrics we see its hidden meaning. It continues with “It’s embarrassing, you’ve buried me”, as if these actions have led to their love dying and one side has let go while the other hasn’t. We’ve all been there.
What Are We Holdin’ On To?
So, what’s next for Royel Otis? They are currently on tour but they’ve already made their stop in Boston. Don’t fret though because you can still check out their album PRATTS & PAIN on all music streaming platforms. If that sounds like too much commitment then I recommend just listening to "If Our Love Is Dead," you don’t want to miss it!
Every Monday, our music staff brings you a new Pick of The Week, detailing some of our favorite songs. Check out our previous Picks of the Week here, and make sure to tune in to WERS 88.9FM!
