Premiere: NYC’s Eighty Ninety Soar into Heartbreak with Bittersweet “Forever”

Eighty Ninety © Eric T. White
Eighty Ninety © Eric T. White
An irresistibly tender indie pop upheaval, Eighty Ninety’s new single “Forever” captures the unabating heartache and immediacy of unrequited love.
Stream: “Forever” – Eighty Ninety
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An irresistibly tender indie pop upheaval, Eighty Ninety’s new single captures the unabating heartache and immediacy of unrequited love. Soaringly bittersweet and emotional, “Forever” brings us all back to the vulnerability of our first true heartbreak.

Forever - Eighty Ninety
Forever – Eighty Ninety
Seven AM
I’m still up
And I’m still drunk
And I’m still sitting here
Waiting for you to come pick me up
Maybe when I’m sober
I’ll remember that it’s over
And I’ll roll over
And get back to sleep
Just this once…

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Forever,” Eighty Ninety’s first single of 2021 and the latest offering off their forthcoming sophomore EP. The NYC based indie pop duo of brothers Abner (vocals, production) and Harper (guitar, production) James, Eighty Ninety have been lighting up the airwaves for the past five long years. Atwood writer Alex Killian previously praised the group for their combination of acoustic sounds and controlled electronic production, calling them “a pair to keep an eye out for” back in 2017. In 2018, the brothers dove deep into their viral single “Your Favorite Song” (described as “a heartfelt tribute to the power of music”) in a heart-to-heart about its personal significance and their own musical growth.

Three years and plenty of thrilling music later, Eighty Ninety find themselves something of a mainstay in New York City’s indie pop scene. Following their previous singles “Better As Friends” and “Happier,” “Forever” is a heartfelt, plaintive immersion of somber, sobering feelings. An immersive soundscape wraps itself around the ears as Abner James sings front and center, his voice carrying a sweetly evocative lilt. It’s a dreamy, enchanting indulgence:

If we were meant to have another
Why did we have to go find each other?
I know that I was meant to feel this way
You said that we were bound together
You know that I’d wait for you forever
We could forget the plans that we have made
And you and me could be
Forever, Together
You and me could be
Forever, Together
You and me could be

“’Forever’ is about reconciling the desire to be with the person you love with the understanding that they don’t feel the same way anymore,” Eighty Ninety tell Atwood Magazine. “It’s like a daydream in a song — what if we were in love again? Even though deep down you know it’s futile, it’s so easy to fall into that wish that things could go back to the way they were. When we were making the song with our good friend and collaborator Gian Stone we wanted it to feel dream – like but also grounded in reality to express that central conflict, so we matched floating, ethereal synths and expressive guitars with harder hitting drums and percussion.”

Eighty Ninety © Eric T. White
Eighty Ninety © Eric T. White

It’s like a daydream in a song — what if we were in love again?

Seven AM
I’m still up
And I’m still drunk
Trying to understand
How to get through life
If we’re not in love
And in my heart I always knew it
And we swore we’d never lose it
Now I’m up all night
But I’m not the one that you’re dreaming of

Though its music may be serene and tranquil, a storm brews inside of “Forever”: One that struggles to reconcile unrequited feelings, past and present, and the complex entanglements of the heart, body, and mind. It’s a love song awash with longing; a catchy, tight pop tune that says all the right things at the wrong time.

Eighty Ninety’s sophomore EP is due out later this year. For now, stream “Forever” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!

If we were meant to have another
Why did we have to go find each other?
I know that I was meant to feel this way
You said that we were bound together
You know that I’d wait for you forever
We could forget the plans that we have made
And you and me could be
Forever, Together

— —

Stream: “Forever” – Eighty Ninety
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Forever - Eighty Ninety

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