My regrets like to manifest as dreams. When they come to me in dreams, I can’t ignore them or suppress them. In the last few weeks, I’ve had the same reoccurring dream about someone I never gave a second chance to. A little part of me wishes I would have – and that same part loves to daydream about a life with them, too. During the covid lockdowns, I’m sure many were forced to reflect on their regrets the same way my dreams force me. Emmrose’s “17 Inside” addresses the lingering regret they have, and how the pandemic only provided them with time to ruminate on their regret.
“17 Inside” is an indie-pop single that doubles as beautiful lyric poetry. Within lyric poetry, the speaker expresses their passionate thoughts and feelings about an event or item, and this song is no different. Emmrose expresses their regret and inability to rekindle a connection due to an external event – the covid lockdowns. The song immediately opens with an apology accompanied by soft guitar strings. The artist details in the next verses how they “were ready” to “start again” with the other half of this connection. But this opportunity was robbed from them when “New York shut down” in the beginning of the pandemic. Instead of being able to make-up with the other half, Emmrose finds herself in isolation, lamenting on the connection. The chorus brings on a gradual change in tempo and rhythm that steadily rises as more instruments are incorporated. By the end of the chorus, the single’s instrumental arrangement fully blossoms as the artist bares her heart and soul. Even though the lockdowns were not that long ago, it “feels forever ago”. Especially when all you had during it was an abundance of time to envision how things could have played out differently if not for the extenuating circumstances. The rest of the song’s duration features a continual shift in mood as Emmrose comes to terms with never being able to rewind time to get closure for this lost connection. While keeping lingering regret as company is posed as a bad thing, it’s quite the opposite; it’s a functional force of motivation and determination for the future when similar situations arise.
Native New Yorker, Emmrose, is a 19-year-old singer, songwriter, and Groove Obsessions Artist with a unique breakout story into the music scene. The artist’s debut album, Hopeless Romantics, was released a week before NYC entered their covid lockdown in 2020. This subsequently meant all of the songs Emmrose recorded with Mike Abiuso at Behind The Curtains Media could not be performed in-person for shows or tours. As opposed to viewing this as a setback, the artist instead saw this as an opportunity to foster a deeper connection with their audience and took to social media to perform their music via weekly live streams. Hopeless Romantics eventually went on to win Best Pop Album in the 2020 WAM Awards. Emmrose’s story serves as a true testament to what unrelenting determination looks like when chasing your dreams. If you’re as captivated by the artist’s willpower and music as much as I am, show them some virtual love in the form of streams, likes, and follows.
Written by Giavanna Gradaille
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