After a tough conversation with a family member about the future, jobs, bills, and more, I found myself brooding in the grocery store as I pushed the cart. I decided to listen to David Guetta’s and Bebe Rexha’s popular and successful “I’m Good (Blue)” on my phone for relief. I’ve always listened to this song as self-affirmation, letting Bebe’s conviction convince me that things would be okay.
But I listened to a slowed and reverbed version instead. That once-bright, energy-driven, catchy piano melody from Eiffel 65’s I’m Blue turned into something slow, solemn, and sentimental. Bebe’s voice sank deeper and the somber melody cut right at my heart with unexpected authenticity.
Music has never been a strong medium for me to talk about and yet it has a way of mastering me even when I can’t master it.
The track cut too close and I switched to the original as I pushed the shopping cart. BUT… I did something different: I read the lyrics while I listened. I’m not sure what possessed me to pay attention to the words of the song, but I did. I could understand what most of it said, but I never actually sat and read the lyrics to confirm what I heard.
To those who don’t know, it’s basically a remake of the aforementioned I’m Blue, and the song is basically party escapism. It’s fun, it’s joyful, it has that youthful energy of nostalgia, and it’s frivolous.
If you look at the music video in David Guetta’s channel, it’s completely saturated with that elite, first class fantasy everyone dreams of: yachts in exotic tropical islands, million dollar mansions, a homemade studio to make your art like Mr. Guetta, models in bikinis, friends at the pool party, and all kinds of party spectacle that puts Jay Gatsby’s house parties to shame.
It captures that sort of party and celebration that I would associate with Mr. Guetta. And to be honest, I love it.
For someone who’s an introvert, and bookworm, and just a geek, I actually admire that sort of social nightlife with friends. It’s something I wish I could have and something I wish I can have in time instead of the mediocre, the mundane, and the sub-par.
So, what do I do to hope that one day I can have it like Mr. Guetta and Ms. Rexha? I listen to this song and work on my craft, hoping one day I can achieve it.
Now, based on the lyrics and visuals of the music video, it sounds something simple and pretty much basic party escapism, am I right? This song is about happiness, right?
What if I told you that’s an incorrect assumption? What if I told you that it’s something deeper? What if I told you it was about depression?