The alternate title for this post was “Consciousness Streaming 2k14 Before The Year Runs Out”.
So about those collages… (Spellcheck always wants me to mean “college” when I type “collage”, and I’m like, “lol spellcheck do u even know me”.)
It’s hard to figure out your own art. It’s hard to decide what it means. Does it need to mean something? I can’t trace where the thoughts come from, because they arise from media and dreams and relationships. The media that I’m drawn to and the dreams that I have and the relationships that I seek are all based on each other, so what’s a girl to do?
“This ain’t nothing to relate to.” A line from The Weeknd’s ballad about young adult stardom, “John Carpenter”. He repeats those words over and over again after the unsurprising verses about fame and drug abuse. Okay, technically every one of his songs is about young adult stardom, partying too hard and trying not to get knocked down.
“I tweak all day just to sleep at night.
God damn, I’m high.
My doctor told me to stop;
he gave me something to pop.
And I mix it up with some Adderalls
and I wait to get to the top.
And I mix it up with some alcohol
and I pour it up in a shot.”
After singing through more hedonistic angst, The Weeknd says, “This ain’t nothing to relate to.” What a relatable statement that is, though! What a Sylvia Plath type of thing to say. It is very relatable to feel alone at a party, for your success to be filled with ennui.
The mood reminds me of another song in a similar vein: “Tuesday” by I Love Makonnen, featuring Drake.