Hauntingly heavy and dreamily ethereal, YAYME’s debut single “Oceans” washes over the ears in waves of stirring, bittersweet reflection.
Stream: “Oceans” – YAYME
So many people feel alone in their struggles, so I hope that this song reminds people that there is always, always another way.
Hauntingly heavy and dreamily ethereal, YAYME’s debut single washes over the ears in waves of stirring, bittersweet reflection. A lush, expressive outpouring of dreamy and jazzy pop enveloped in questions of life, death, loss, and being, “Oceans” caresses the ears as the California newcomer weaves a compelling, provocative shiver-inducing soundscape.
The tide push and pulling sedated the blue
But lately i can’t breathe
The pressure beneath kept me in one piece
But lately i can’t see
The happy people living sappy lives
From the pretty clouds and crystal shore
I can’t believe what I’ve done to me
They can’t believe what i’ve done to me
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Oceans,” the debut single from Orange County, California-based dream pop artist YAYME. The moniker for Amy Jiang, YAYME worked with Inspired & the Sleep’s Max Green to produce her first song – a striking introduction in which she dwells in the uncompromising depths of depression and suicide. Inspired by “the depth, mystery and all-encompassing quality of the ocean,” the YAYME’s single song is written from the point of view of the ghost of someone who drowned themselves. It’s a moody, heart-wrenching piece that, for YAYME, also attempts to raise awareness to the permanence of suicide in hopes of prevention.
Rich tones immerse the senses as YAYME rises gently in the chorus, spilling emotions in a grand upheaval of feeling: “The happy people living sappy lives from the pretty clouds and crystal shore…. I can’t believe what I’ve done to me. They can’t believe what I’ve done to me.“
Her second verse goes on to paint a faithful portrait of depression, bringing up some of the real, visceral thoughts that may haunt us:
I know you won’t miss me
but if you so happen to stroll down to the shore
I’ll be in the currents,
the foam and the ripples wishing i could be
“In the song, I wanted to paint the picture of a depressed narrator who felt as though they had no other way out of their situation,” YAYME tells Atwood Magazine. “They had always found peace in the ocean, and therefore, chose it as their place to end their life and lay rest for good. However, once fully committed to the act, their ghost/soul soon begins to feel claustrophobic when the gravity of what they’ve done truly hits them. There is no turning back. The saying that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem cannot be more real.”
“I was inspired to write this because people nowadays are a lot lonelier than I had previously thought. So many people feel alone in their struggles, so I hope that this song reminds people that there is always, always another way.”
With the happy people living sappy lives
on the pretty clouds and crystal shore
I can’t believe what i’ve done to me
They can’t believe what i’ve done to me
YAYME’s hope is that “Oceans” offers comfort and connection, empathy and support to whoever needs it. An emotive song that cuts to a tender, moving core, “Oceans” excels at capturing the mindset of this visceral experience without casting judgment or forming opinions. As painful a listen as it may be for many, “Oceans” is also soothing, calming, and deeply comforting: It’s a safe space for those to feel the emotions of this song, and to connect, on a deeper level, with their own emotions.
More than anything, “Oceans” is a thrilling first look at a blossoming new artistry. Stream YAYME’s debut single exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
— —
Stream: “Oceans” – YAYME
— — — —
Connect to YAYME on Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
? © 2021
