Indigo De Souza reflects upon her years of youthful naïveté within new single “Younger & Dumber,” a stirring expression of desire for a time long past and the innocence that came with it.
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Stream: “Younger & Dumber” – Indigo De Souza
I’ll tell you when you’re older.
We’ve all heard it at some point; being told the aforementioned statement is practically a rite of passage when it comes to growing up. It’s a lousy excuse that those around us use when they deem us as too innocent to comprehend reality. In response, we indignantly turn our noses up, pouting and shedding a couple of tears over our cursed status as adolescents. Though, behind this cranky façade, we secretly wish that we, too, were just another 20-something who could easily understand this seemingly untouchable parable of wisdom. In fact, we spend so much of our childhood wishing to be older that it ends up eclipsing our ability to revel in the years of our youth.
Reflecting upon this loss of adolescence and all of its splendors that we so often take for granted, Indigo De Souza brings us her newest track, “Younger & Dumber,” released Feb. 8, via Saddle Creek. The melody is the first cut from her upcoming record, All of This Will End, due April 28.
When I was younger
Younger and dumber
Felt like a flower
You came to pick me
From out of the city
You turned me sour
Which way will I run
When I want something new
I don’t feel at home
In this house
Anymore
“When you’re young, you don’t know any better, but you learn from your experiences, and then you become somebody who’s been alive and learning,” De Souza shares. “[‘Younger & Dumber’ is] also about how heartbreaking that is; to start as a child with vivid curiosity, innocent imagination and joy, and for the world to end up being kind of brutal to be a part of.”
As children, we look at the world around us with wonder in our eyes; to a child, nothing could be more magical than the experience of life itself. Though, as the years go by, we become increasingly jaded, trading in whimsical hours of playing pretend for the heavy monotony of an adult routine.
Which way will I run
When I’m over you
I don’t feel at home
In this town
Sometimes I just don’t want to be alone
And it’s not because i’m lonely
It’s just cuz I get so tired of
Filling the space all around me
De Souza has always been apt to delve deep into the concept of mortality within her body of work; her artistry’s fluid nature masterfully captures the many stages of life and the emotions that accompany them. Her confessional lyrics and the intimate tone she assumes work together to delicately unravel her life’s story, just as one would a ball of twine.
“Younger & Dumber” is perhaps De Souza’s most striking commentary on the fleeting nature of life.
“When I was younger, younger and dumber, felt like a flower,” De Souza reflects at the top of the track, backed by a gentle piano and glowy guitar ensemble. While the naivety of childhood is often looked back on with flippant disregard, one can clearly picture the musician reminiscing upon her youth with a somber smile. Childhood innocence once served as a protective force, shielding her from the barrage of horrors that life threw her way. Now, those defenses have fallen, and De Souza must face these challenges head-on.
And the love I feel
Is so powerful
It can take you anywhere
And the love I feel
Is so very real
It’ll drag you down
“‘Younger & Dumber’ is a flood beam of my emotional and spiritual human experience,” the musician shares. “My growing up [was] defeated by a world brutally littered with trash, violence and grief, and somehow [I found] beauty, purpose, and boundless love existing in the same place.”
Acknowledging that while her adolescent years were abundant with growing pains, De Souza refuses to admonish the mistakes that she made on her journey to adulthood. The musician instead dips into a reservoir of love as the track comes to a climax, opening the floodgates to release a tidal wave of compassion for the young person who made these decisions — regardless of whether these choices were made from a naive place or not.
Reaching a loving hand inward to hold her inner child, De Souza asserts, “No one can prepare us for how insane it is to be alive, [or] how many times we will have to rise from the ashes and what courage it will take” — all we can do is meet them halfway with understanding. Life is hard enough as it is, the least we can do for ourselves is be kind.
Which way will I run
When I want something new
I don’t feel at home
In this house
Anymore
Which way will I run
When I’m over you
I don’t feel at home
In this town
De Souza affirms that after going through all of these experiences, “It feels so clear to me now more than ever, how important it is to unabashedly embody my truest spirit. Because I am not special, and I’m fleeting, and it feels like it’s my purpose to help mobilize others to come home to themselves; to wake from our societal sleepwalk and consider the importance in creating deep connection within community and relationships; to find a preciousness in the time we have and the earth we’re nourished by; to see nature in all its primordial magic, as something to learn from and grow with. Something to protect.”
When I was younger
Younger and dumber
I didn’t know better
Growing up is a never-ending process, but De Souza is here to walk us through it, holding our hands every step of the way. The overarching message of love within “Younger & Dumber” empowers us to reconnect with the most tender parts of our souls; to learn how to simply be within this world of madness. The spirit of resilience and strength echoes through every note, as De Souza once again teaches us what it means to be truly and fully human.
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Stream: “Younger & Dumber” – Indigo De Souza
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? © Angella Choe album art © Kimberly Oberhammer
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