She

Dodie’s song 'She' is a poignant exploration of unrequited love and the bittersweet emotions that accompany it. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's deep admiration and affection for a woman who seems almost ethereal in her beauty and presence. The repeated sensory descriptions, such as 'smells like lemongrass and sleep' and 'tastes like apple juice and peach,' evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing, suggesting that the object of the singer's affection is both comforting and unattainable.

The song delves into the internal conflict of the singer, who questions whether it is wrong to feel this way about someone who is 'just so nice to look at.' This internal struggle is compounded by the realization that these feelings will never be reciprocated, as highlighted in the lines 'But to her, I taste of nothing at all.' The singer finds solace in admiring from afar, even though it brings a certain kind of pain that 'feels oddly good to hurt.' This paradoxical feeling underscores the complexity of unrequited love, where the pain of longing is intertwined with the joy of simply being in the presence of the beloved.

Dodie’s gentle, almost whisper-like vocal delivery adds to the song's intimate and vulnerable atmosphere. The use of everyday, relatable imagery, such as 'birthday cake' and 'storytime,' makes the emotions expressed in the song universally relatable. The recurring motif of the Polaroid picture symbolizes a moment frozen in time, capturing the essence of the beloved in a way that is both tangible and fleeting. Through 'She,' Dodie beautifully captures the essence of silent yearning and the quiet, often unspoken, nature of unrequited love.