TBH, I had writer's block this week. I wasn't really sure what to write, so I looked for inspiration from the web. I came to a site, Writer's Digest, and I found a list of creative writing prompts. I chose a random one and decided to respond to it.
The prompt: Listen to some of your favorite songs. What are the songs that stand out to you the most? Why?
SZA, "20 Something" from the CRTL album: "Why didn't you tell me you were getting bored ... Please think of the past don't go."
Frank Ocean, "White Ferrari" from the Blond album: "I'm sure we're taller in other dimensions/You say were smaller and not worth the mention/You're tired of moving your body's aching ..."
Amine, "Turf" from the Good For You album: "I packed up my bags and told mom and dad I have to go and once I leave they'll see the inner me ..."
These lines stand out to me because I believe that they are the most honest or interesting lyrics in the song. That authentic expression of emotion is appealing to me because it's so relatable. In SZA's song, her lover is moving without giving her any validation. She's desperate for him to stay even though she is non-committal. She loves the 'feel' of a relationship without actually being in a relationship. She wants him because he is familiar and she feels comfortable giving herself to him in ways that she isn't comfortable to do with other people, yet she still doesn't open herself up enough to make a real intimate connection.
Frank Ocean's song is about intimacy. Literally, the song is about familiarity and wanting that feeling to stay. Frank wants the relationship to stay the same and continue on. His lover has a different idea. The relationship has no bad blood, but there was no real "love," they just kept getting "familiar." Frank holds on to the times he had with his lover, "I care for you still and I will forever," but it's over.
Amine's touches on a lot. He mentions gentrification, death, and depression. He has to leave the place he found so much joy in to find the "inner him."
These songs, although they seemed depressing, are about real issues that I relate to. The fear of intimacy and the joy of "familiarity," gentrification, and depression are things that affect me personally. I love how each artist learns to express those negatives and turn it into something that isn't destructive.
If you're bored or stuck, feel free to respond to this prompt and others at http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts
You can also listen to the mentioned songs: