In her recent single, “What If It Ends?”, the Melbourne indie-pop artist Sidney creates an opening into the minor gripes of love, ambition, and uncertainty, when to let a tight hold slacken on things that you hold very dear. It’s a song that doesn’t merely pose a question, it dwells on it, letting the vileness of its meaning wash over in waves of warmth and openness.
Driven by an uplifting yet introspective soundscape, Sidney strikes a delicate balance of hope and heartache. The melodies of the song glisten with life, but its lyrics burrow deep into the ache of wondering, what if it all falls apart? She captures a fear so universal, that of losing something fundamental to how we define ourselves, and somehow makes it feel liberating.
There is an undeniable authenticity to Sidney’s delivery, her voice conveying both the fragility of self-doubt and the quiet strength of self-acceptance. Instead of being consumed by despair, she sees the beauty in the unknown, a gentle reminder that even endings can bear fruit from new beginnings.
“What if it ends?” sounds like a conversation with your heart, sweet and honest and human in all its wonderful frailties. It’s a song that stays with you long after its last note has faded, not for providing answers but because it distills some truth we all live by, that everything, no matter how much of a sure thing it may appear to be, is temporary, and perhaps that’s O.K.
Tags
Indie pop