A breathtakingly beautiful outpouring of love, empathy, and affection, Litany’s new single “Cream” soars high as the artist plunges into our darkest depths.
Stream: “Cream” – Litany
In this case, cream is a metaphor for happiness. The colour itself is so warm and inviting. I wanted to mirror this in the video and create a safe, soft womb-like space to act as protection from the outside world and the dark cloud of mental health.
A breathtakingly beautiful outpouring of love, empathy, and affection, Litany’s new single soars high as the artist plunges into our darkest depths. A waterfall of heartfelt emotion radiates off “Cream” as Litany paints a stirring portrait of a loved one’s depression and anxiety. It’s a delicate portrayal of inner pain arriving in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month – a song that is sure to resonate for many months and years to come.
For a while you were
The cat that got the cream
So wide eyed
And full of curiosity
Oh I wonder when it changed
I thought we had it made
Perhaps the cream was just to sweet
For you to savour it
Released May 20, 2021, “Cream” follows “Playlist” as Litany’s intimate sophomore single of 2021, finding Beth Cornell reckoning – with deep love and musical finesse – in the throes of emotional volatility. Co-written with producer / solo artist Fyfe and James New (Dua Lipa, RAYE), the song is something of an outstretched hand to a loved one in need. It’s a recognition of another’s pain and a message of unconditional love and support, expressing as much in words as in its tender melodies.
Perhaps the cream was just too sweet for you to savour it.
“I wrote this shortly after the person I loved came clean about feeling suicidal,” Litany tells Atwood Magazine. “When we met, he was so full of light and had this endearing sense of naïvety about him. It soon became clear though, that he was really struggling with depression (even those closest to you can hide this really well). This song practically poured out of me at a session I had amidst this particular episode. I think not only was this me trying to make sense of the situation, but I think I was subconsciously writing it for him as a kind of message of reassurance or something.”
“I could feel him pushing me away, but I loved him; I wasn’t going to scare that easy. In this case, ‘cream’ is a metaphor for happiness. The colour itself is so warm and inviting. I wanted to mirror this in the video and create a safe, soft womb-like space to act as protection from the outside world and the dark cloud of mental health. The lyrics and message are so important in this song that I didn’t want to complicate the visuals but instead deliver the emotion in a vulnerable and frank way.”
The wood there for the trees
So full of life
And everything was such a breeze
Oh I wonder when it changed
All your colours turned to grey
Perhaps the trees they grew too big
For you to really see
You said “its not you, it’s me
I’m scared of pulling you under”
I said “it’s just a blip
Put your head on my shoulder”
There’s no “easy” way to talk about depression, but it’s important that we not shy away from the topic either. Litany’s moving lyrics are their own special poetry, and a vessel for us to experience, think about, and hopefully engage in our own interpersonal dialogues about mental health, depression, anxiety, and more. The more we discuss these things, the more we normalize them, and the better off we’ll all be.
yes, boys can cry and yes, you can try to push me away in an attempt to conceal your pain but I don’t scare easy, not when it comes to you anyway’.”
Contrary to the popular belief
Boys can cry; does that serve as a relief?
There’s no use hiding it away
Only hanging on good days
Surely by now its clear
That I’ll be here
Through anything
You said “its not you, it’s me
I’m scared of pulling you under”
“It’s just a blip
Put your head on my shoulder”
Long an Atwood Magazine artist-to-watch, Litany has outdone herself in a song brimming with substance and swelling with deep feeling.
“Cream” is vivid and vast – a sweet, breathtaking indie pop immersion ready to fill our hearts and break down our barriers. Litany’s done big and brash; she’s done dynamic and raw; and here, she’s shown a mastery of the soft and stirring. Give this song your time; let the music and its message wash over you.
For a while you saw
The wood there for the trees
For a while your pride
It served as a relief
For a while you were
The cat that got the cream
Perhaps the cream was just too sweet for you to savour it.
It’s about being in a relationship with someone who was once full of the joys of spring, but started to slump further and further into the clutches of depression before you.
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Stream: “Cream” – Litany
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