Bloom celebrates self-love in all its form with their newest song “Elevate” from the album of the same name. Something Bloom has been incredibly vocal about in the lead to their album is the importance of empowerment, saying “just knowing we have that light gives us a sense of self-empowerment and the ability to overcome adversity.”
It’s a perspective that’s been lacking in the last few divisive years that I hope doesn’t fall on deaf ears. The song is expertly crafted across the board, with a sonic emphasis on brass, gospel influence both subtle and overt and excellent drum work. It has a fantastic kinetic energy as it begins with the wonderfully inviting and exciting aforementioned brass as the female vocals of the lead singer start with lines detailing previous relationships, mainly those that have gone south or worse with mention of being knocked around. It’s shockingly uncompromising despite maintaining this peppy upbeat sound. When the singer states that she looked inwards and found the solution was to out themselves first, she felt an elation as she was saved.
From there we have a repeated usage of the phrase “I’m elevating, I’m levitating” which utilizes this fantastic stuttering delivery that makes the sound so memorable and dare I say, iconic? This is a love letter to empowerment that never backpedals or falters, something that remains a delight the whole way through. It might not pierce through a downer heart, but for those that this is intended for are gonna find much to love.
Something I appreciate in the subtext of the track is that while there’s a lot of declarations of love in the song, they’re not always internal with some proclamations of eternal love. It’s something that plays even handedly that growth and self-love isn’t always a one person job, you’re allowed to let others in to help and that level of nuance is welcomed.
Bloom’s overall thesis on the album is to tell a story about lows and the highs we need and must take to become better people, and the theatricality they utilize makes the whole single feel larger than life. If there’s something I wish, it’s that the song was just a little longer. While no good song is too long and no bad song short enough, the track sometimes feels like it’s barely scratching the surface of its explorations, but I also chalk that up to being a piece of a larger narrative of the album, which I highly recommend.
As we wrap into fall, the darker weather encroaches, seasonal depression kicks in, and we’ll all need a reminder to practice some self-care, and Bloom offers the ultimate remedy for the soul. “Love keeps lifting me high” is a phrase repeatedly echoed on the track, and it’s something I couldn’t agree with more. “You dig deep, you turn up the heart like a rocket to the sun.” hold yourself accountable, find peace and find happiness. If you find yourself weathering under the pressure, just look at Bloom. They found a way to elevate themselves.
Heather Savage
