Pop duo Confetti’s candid “When I Grow Up” is a playful, youthful anthem overshadowed by growing pains and insecurities.
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I thought I’d have it all figured out by now…
They never quite tell you when you’re officially a grown-up, do they? You’re a child, then you’re a young adult… but when exactly does the “young” tag fall off, leaving you a fully-grown, responsible, mature, and functioning member of society? Do we have a choice in the matter, or is it just something that happens over time, that we have no control or say over?
What if I’m not ready yet? Two twenty-somethings tackle these existential questions in their band Confetti’s sophomore single: A playful, youthful anthem overshadowed by insecurities and anxiety, candid anthem “When I Grow Up” captures millennial growing pains.
I wish I was ambitious,
can’t stand the heat,
so I get up out the kitchen,
Can’t even do the dishes,
wish I had some luck
wish I wasn’t superstitious.
Did I mention…
I’m addicted, addicted to attention
I get sad when I don’t get a lot of mentions,
I got two ears but I hear they don’t listen,
Got 99 problems but still no bitches (damn!)
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music video for “When I Grow Up,” the sophomore single from Los Angeles pop duo Confetti. The anonymous musical project, Confetti tackle real life head-on with relatable, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, infectiously catchy and energizing pop music, and clever, memorable visuals. Their mascot is the elephant: Originally, it was a means of simply taking the spotlight off the two guys themselves, but the elephant is quickly taking on a personality and identity of its own. The band’s Ricci Ferigo-directed music video for “When I Grow Up” depicts a cartoon elephant struggling with adulthood, balancing youthful debauchery and desire with a matured longing for true love’s connection.
What happens when you want to have your cake and eat it, too? Our elephant friend dreams a tantalizing fantasy that doesn’t quite end happily ever after. Meanwhile, the vocalist sings truth to power, his smoothly evocative voice lamenting an emphatically stuck sensation: He sees his friends getting married, advancing in their jobs, and finding satisfaction in their lives. Meanwhile, he’s not there yet – nor is he necessarily ready for it: He just wants to stay young and bask in that glory.
Maybe I can find some peace of mind,
But the older I get the harder it’s to find,
OR NOT
When I grow up,
I won’t have to worry if I’m good enough,
I won’t have to think about myself too much,
And I can have a drink if I wanna get drunk
When I grow up, when I grow up
Can’t wait for the daaaaay
That I feel okaaaaaay
I just wanna be like the kid I was,
When I grow up…
Adulting is hard; the struggle is real. For a band whose name evokes parties and good times, Confetti definitely live up to the hype: They’re trying to make the moments last, embracing their youth for as long as they possibly can. “When I grow up,” sings (for all intents and purposes) a grown-up. “I feel like, as a young adult, I’m far from having my shit together,” Confetti tell Atwood Magazine.
Stream Confetti’s “When I Grow Up” music video exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and dive deeper into the band and their music through our interview below!
Watch: “When I Grow Up” – Confetti
MEET CONFETTI
Atwood Magazine: Why did you go with a cartoon for the “When I Grow Up” music video?
Confetti: In general we want Confetti to have its own identity. We feel like smacking our ugly mugs all over this project would just cause confusion, chaos, anger, rioting and perhaps destruction. To avoid assuming direct responsibility for these inevitable problems we created a character to which we point the blame: The Elephant.
How do you feel your vision of “When I Grow Up” aligns with the reality of being “grown up”?
Confetti: There’s a lot of pressure to get a job, find a soulmate, start a family, and present yourself as a stable and responsible adult. As creatives, part of our job is to forget as much of that as possible and write with the feeling of innocence we had as children.
How has your musical style developed over time and what influences you?
Confetti: My major influences come from music in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Everything from Eminem to Sublime, to Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Backstreet Boys, Tim McGraw, and Rage Against Machine. I think it’s all about using those (and obviously hundreds of other) influences to help redefine your tastes and sounds.
What do you love about this song in particular? Which parts of it speak to you?
Confetti: This song speaks to me because I feel like, as a young adult, I’m far from having my shit together. I feel like a lot of other millennials probably feel the same way. At heart, I feel like a kid that just wants to live in the moment as long as he can.
Much of “When I Grow Up” is literal in its expectations and hopes. How do you guys find writing explicitly helps further the message in this song, as opposed to other instances with more metaphor?
Confetti: ‘When I Grow Up’ and most other Confetti songs revolve around writing explicitly and giving real world examples. The clever metaphors have been done before… this is our chance to speak freely and bluntly. We’re trying to write “for the people, by the people” kind of things.
Your cartoon reminds me a bit of BoJack Horseman. Can you two speak to that - the mixture of cartoons, which in many minds are for children, with more intense, mature themes such as the ones present in that television show, in “When I Grow Up,” etc?
Confetti: That’s actually a great reference, touché. Yeah, we are definitely trying to attack some more mature themes but do them in a sarcastic, playful way. That’s a testament to [redacted]’s songwriting… he can deliver a serious message with attitude, but also with a smirk.
Why this song, and why now?
Confetti: Why not? That’s our mantra. There’s some things to say so let’s say them. There’s some feelings to feel so let’s share them. And hopefully the people can relate.
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:: stream “When I Grow Up” here ::
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