dearALICE is on its way to becoming the world’s next hot boyband, and it shows! On the 21st of February, dearALICE released their official debut single ‘Ariana’ after their appearance on the BBC series Made in Korea. This song tells the story of a boyfriend whose partner is caught up in a celebrity obsession, which makes him feel like he’s in a competition with this celebrity.
The song starts off with a series of electronic beeps reminiscent of notifications coming from a phone, which immediately set the scene for the song. These beeps continue throughout the song, as the first vocals set in: “Wish I looked away now, set my eyes on her now it’s too late. I’m the one to pay now, she will never love me in that way.” These lyrics show a clear reference to the song’s topic: he feels like he’s competing with his partner’s favourite artist.
The song starts to pick up speed as early as the first pre-chorus and continues to do so as the story told through the song goes on. dearALICE does this through the addition of new beats and instruments in the background; the second chorus, for example, has a clear beat playing in the background, while the first one does not. The chorus is catchy and bound to get stuck in the listener’s head, as the band sings: “She loves Ariana, I’ll never be enough,” again showing the comparison between him and his partner’s favourite artist.
In the second verse, the feelings of longing to get as much attention as the celebrity are expressed on a much deeper level: “I’m the one to pay now, look at all my bruises and my wounds. I’m begging you to make it go away, even if it meant it wasn’t true.” The song then bursts into the chorus again, keeping the energy high. As the song starts to come to an end, there’s a catchy instrumental break, completing the dance vibes of the song.
With this single, dearALICE shows itself ready to fill the boyband-shaped hole in many people’s hearts, and they are definitely a group to look out for. Make sure to watch the music video for ‘Ariana’ here!
Written by: Nèri Cliteur
Edited by: Marieke Weeda
