Starting from meager beginnings, Stars has sky rocketed into one of Canada’s most highly evolved bands, going from electronic pop to the mellow and beautiful sounds of indie pop. From completely penniless in New York City, Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman have risen up, going from a duo into the quintet of today. This indie pop band, a genre only understood after listening to the music, contains songs such as ‘Personal’ with the sweet melodies of piano and guitar creating euphony among the cacophonous messages coursing through the lyrics. A group of artists composing such beautiful lyrics as a single body could never be more passionately observed than with the listening of their music. Not only focusing on certain aspects of society, more often than not, Stars’ lyrics can always be held up to interpretation, thus giving the audience more artistic license over the work. Campbell states, “If you could make horror movies that were like love stories, that would be my ultimate genre.” With this statement even the simple question of genre type has been taken to a different level entirely, going for the more intellectual and passionate one.
The song ‘Personal’ explores humanity’s blasé approach when it comes to relationships. The basis of the song takes place on an online dating service with a vain man and an insecure woman. The song exposes society’s weaknesses; we raise up barriers in between those we wish to pursuer relationships with. We never truly mean to, however the end remains the same. This inability to drop our defenses is our downfall, our Achilles’ heel; we cannot have an intimate relationship with nothing but a screen, we need human to human contact. Through the gaps between verses within the song, you get the idea of the pain coursing in the song, of the incapability and hesitancy for a fellow human being to get close to you.
This song speaks out to me because I believe it is universal for everyone. We all have our insecure moments where we downsize ourselves for our physical appearance (…“when you see my face, I hope that you don’t laugh. I’m not a film star beauty… I hope that you don’t laugh”). My opinion of this song is that the male voice does go out to find the woman, but upon seeing her physique, left. The male cannot get past the outer extremities of a person to search within to find the sweet and kind individual. Because of this, I believe the ending voice is the unsaid female voice wondering if it was her fault for being stood up or the man’s fault (“is it you or me? is it you or me?”).
Even the way the verses oscillate between voices, the discrepancies between them can be found. The male voice, Campbell’s, speaks with a cold and calculating tone rubbing off as impersonal and indifferent. Within the first few lines of the female’s response, we learn more about her than we have about the male for the entirety of the song. The woman wears her heart on her sleeve, giving him the opportunity to reject her, but not through ordinary means but by him not even showing up at the café they were supposed to meet at. The male shields himself, protected from heartbreak and inevitably disallowing the one person in that could attempt to free him from his chains.
Rising up against the society’s status quo remains a theme throughout all of Stars’ songs, following the indie pop standards. However the delivery stays fresh and simplistic providing a stark contrast between the heavy thoughtful lyrics. The song title ‘Personal’ could not be any more ironic than it is literal; besides the interpretation that it is named after the fact the song is a personal dating ad, my belief is that it was called this for interpretation. The song stays impersonal because the male refuses to meet the woman halfway, like in all real relationships both parties have to work at it. He doesn’t even reveal his name at any point in the song; he doesn’t reveal anything about himself. How can we be expected to obtain any sort of relationship with no basis of openness? Stars’ true intent and purpose for this song is to show the distance we create between ourselves, that technology can hinder us as much as help us. We may be able to reach people from all over the world, but what is the point if our humanity is lost in the process? “To me, that’s our responsibility in writing pop songs,” says Campbell, “is that no matter how grim it is, it’s your life, and we have to try to make it beautiful for three-and-a-half minutes.”
Lyrics--
[Wanted:]
Single f, under 33, must enjoy the sun, must enjoy the sea
[Sought by single m:]
Mrs.Destiny,
send photo to address,
is it you and me?
[Reply to single m:]
My name is Caroline cell phone number here,
call if you have the time
28 and bored,
grieving over loss,
sorry to be heavy but heavy is the cost, heavy is the cost
[Reply to Caroline:]
Thanks so much for response,
these things can be scary
Not always what you want
How about a drink?
The St.Jude club at noon?
I'll phone you first I guess
I hope I see you soon.
I never got your name,
I assume you're 33
Your voice it sounded kind
I hope that you like me
When you see my face,
I hope that you don't laugh
I'm not a film-star beauty
I sent a photograph
I hope that you don't laugh...
[Note to single m:]
Why did you not show up?
I waited for an hour and finally gave up
I thought once that I saw you,
I thought that you saw me
I guess we'll never meet now
It wasn't meant to be
I was sure that you saw me, but it wasn't meant to be
[Wanted:]
single f, under 33, must enjoy the sun,
must enjoy the sea
[Sought by single m:]
nothing too heavy,
send photo to address
is it you?
or me?
