Falling Behind

Laufey, an artist known for her soothing voice and jazz-influenced style, presents a poignant narrative of loneliness and the feeling of being out of step with one's peers in her song 'Falling Behind'. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who has moved to a new city during the early summer, a time often associated with new beginnings and romance. However, instead of finding excitement and connection, the protagonist feels isolated and notices a 'sickly romance in the air', suggesting that the abundance of love around them feels overwhelming and perhaps even unhealthy due to their own lack of it.

The song uses vivid imagery to convey the protagonist's sense of disconnection. Phrases like 'the Sun's engaged to the sky' and 'touched the ocean, fell right in' evoke a world where everything and everyone else seems to be in a harmonious relationship except for the singer. The repeated lines 'Everybody's falling in love and I'm falling behind' underscore a deep sense of missing out and the fear of being left alone in a world that values romantic relationships. The mention of 'Bossa nova in my room' adds a layer of irony, as this Brazilian music genre is often associated with warmth and love, yet it underscores the protagonist's solitude.

Laufey's music often explores themes of love, nostalgia, and the complexities of human emotion. 'Falling Behind' is a testament to her ability to articulate the universal experience of feeling out of place or left out. The song resonates with anyone who has ever felt the pressure of societal expectations to find love and the loneliness that can come with not conforming to those norms. Through her melodic storytelling, Laufey invites listeners to find solace in the shared experience of feeling like an outsider looking in on a world where everyone else seems to have found their place.