girl in red discography
I know I'll have to get to her at some point during my time at bryn mawr, so why not now? I only realized that I'm gay a few months deep in college, but I've been having a lot of exposure to gay media back in high school. I find it weird that I could date a straight man and be taking in those media at the same time. to name a few, I've watched call me by your name, read the song of achilles and heartstopper (the latter thanks to my sister), listened to lorde's liability, mystery of love and other sufjan stevens song. in terms of vietnamese indie, I've listened to yêu xa (far love, long-distance relationship) by vũ cát tường and mùa hè bất tận (endless summer) by vũ thanh vân. I knew of girl in red a few years back, but it's only until recently that her music soaks into me. sit back and let me guide you through the journey.
october 2020
I knew of girl in red from an iphone 12 camera advertisement back in 2021, as my sister is a big fan of apple (and is also gay, but idk if bro was gay at the time). little did I know I was listening to two queens on a king sized bed instrumental. some time later, I also listened to her classics such as that song and we fell in love in october. the cringest thing I've ever done is probably dedicating it to me and him when we were still dating. for one of the songbook that I gave him, this song is probably even in there? lol. anyways, I did post some of it onto my old instagram account, which no longer exists.
so, I was straight in october 2020. but everything changes a few octobers later.
october 2023
there are artists that I become a fan after listening to some, then most, of their songs. there are also artists who I only listen to one or two songs that hit, but never dived deeper than that. however, after a dormant period and something happens, I turn back and become a devoted follower. for girl in red, that has to do with my gay awakening journey.
it wasn't we fell in love in october, but more of I fell in love in october, such is unrequited love. however, her music and her concert have helped me gained a lot of confidence about being my true self. and I'm grateful for all of that.
ok now let's actually talk about marie.
marie ulven ringheim is from norway, in case you didn't know. most artists have serious ass spotify descriptions, which I highly condemn. that also explains why I liked her spotify bio a lot (she changed it now lol). the old one reads somewhat like
hellO i'm marie. i write, record and produce music :D i started the girl in red project in september 2017. oH and i have an instagram @girlinred ;)) thanks for being here!!!! world in red baby !
so yeah, before the concert, I know that girl in red is marie, and that she's from norway. however, it's only the night when I came back from the concert that I read more of her biography (most of the stuff I wrote down here are paraphrased from her wikipedia and also this interview). art is usually a generational thing, you're more likely to be an artist if your parents or grandparents also did something in the creative field. marie was different, as she was a first-gen artist, if that's even a thing. marie first plays the guitar in 2013, which she received from her grandpa christmas 2012, and she credited her grandpa as a spark for her interest in music. I think we need to know more stories like this, of people that aren't a music progidy at 4 like mozart or start dancing crazily young. marie's story show me that there would always be space for you in this world, no matter who you are and what you're trying to do. my whole family tree is largely social sciences, and I might as well be the first person to do something in the natural sciences and be some sort of scientist.
what I admire most about marie is her humble beginnings. marie grew up with her divorced parents and her sisters in a little town called horten, to which she described as "quiet and kinda boring." she learned how to play piano, guitar, and music production from the comfort of her own bedroom. from 2015 to 2017, she posted music on soundcloud as lydia X. 2018 to 2019 was her singles and EPs era. from 2020 onwards, she mostly releases music in albums instead.
marie's music traverses many grounds, from romance and heartbreak to mental illness and the queer experience. besides being a queer icon, one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters of working in the world of guitar music, marie and her music are characterized by her artistic distinctiveness and explicit messages of boundless love. I love how straightforward her songs are. by this, I don't mean they lack depth, but it's just that she says what I want to say, as most music I listened to before has a shit ton of pretext and covering up of how the person is actually feeling. when the itch is not physical, you can't scratch it with you bare hands, you gotta use music. blasting her music in the right mood is synonymous to being able to scratch right where the itch is.
dissecting discography
ever since starting her music career in 2017, which is marked by her first release of I wanna be your girlfriend on soundcloud, marie has released 2 EPs, 2 albums, a few singles and other appearances.
let's raise a toast to her EPs
- chapter 1 (2018)
- chapter 2 (2019)
and technically spotify singles but it doesn't feel like an EP to me
- if I could make it go quiet (2021)
- I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! (2024)
- will she come back*
- dramatic lit bitch*
- she was the girl in red*
- we fell in love in october
- two queens on a king sized bed
- october passed me by
- girl friend is better
- eleanor and park*
- maybe*
- homecoming*
- rushed lovers*
- malibu
- kate's not here
- something new
I have the luck to listen to her latest album, I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!, for the first time live. the experience was incredible. it was a sensational night with many unexpected events in between such as people proposing that makes it extra special. plus, I was with my favorite people and surrounded by this safe bubble. the concert itself was a happy blur. I don't remember too much of what happened, but during my time there, all I did was singing, dancing, and feeling like my own self. her music makes me feel safe and confident at the same time.
the best thing about concerts is how my brain on concert mode blocks out every negative thoughts I have about myself and my life (that is, including the incoming calculus exam and my fears of coming out to my parents). I feel belonged and protected in this little bubble. I feel proud and confident under my own skin. it's true that I know what I like, and I get to choose who I love.
(if you want to read on about my concert experience continue on chapter vi. in my 2nd philly blog lol.)
for me personally, I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! is a healthier line up to if I could make it go quiet. it here can refer to many things, the haters, the doubters, or just the narrator's intrusive thoughts. you can find many linking imageries between the two albums, such as the daisy field. in serotonin, it was "put me in a field with daisies, might not work, but I'll take a "maybe," but for I'm back, it was "I'm in the field of daisies and this time feels amazing."
if you do have the time, I do recommend going over her videos as her videography is amazing. it captures the spontaneity and playfulness of the moment. there's no adjective to describe it. for me, it's just very girl in red.
my favorite lines
I feel like a man
When I should be feeling so feminine
and now
to the question we've all been wondering
do you listen to girl in red?
yes, I do.
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