I am a girl. I am 20. I am dating. For me, it is the most regular occasion to daydream of an engagement, a marriage, lifelong love. So if I am being honest, I eat stories of love and romance for breakfast as I chug down my iced vanilla latte. In a lot of ways I am not basic, but this is not one of them.
“High School” by AFTRHOURS is a dream come true, as they say. Not only is the song simply quality, but it is paired with a personal video that walks the viewer through the couple’s story.
It gets better: they met in high school, he was nerdy, she was cute, they would stay out late talking of important things, they stuck together through the years, they are truly in love. I don’t know how else to put it. This song is honest, intimate, and beautiful to the ears, to the soul.
It is set up with a lovely piano riff that repeats a few times. It is steady and elegant. Then, his voice gently sets the scene.
Didn’t know what we had,
but it felt real.
We were friends that whole summer –
summer of senior year.
As we hear this beautiful line of the foundation of a friendship, the video shows pictures of the young couple – visiting an amusement park, eating lunch, making silly faces. It is youth in love. The music, sweet and simple, plays on to explain their growth. They went separate ways for college, they struggled through fights and late nights, but more, they worked through it.
We stayed together through thick and thin.
All of those fights where we never gave in.
He acknowledges in the chorus that they were young and naive at the beginning, but their growth has been together. The piano and strings build in the bridge that acknowledges their broken hearts brought them together. They grew strong and he knew they were meant to be. The music fades.
Looking back on everything,
we came so far and you’re still all I see.
After this lyric, he asks the fateful question. There are tears, joy, and an acceptance. Behind all of this, the piano continues until the end. All one can think is how beautiful love really is. It is music to one’s ears. It is personal. It is powerful.
My 20-year-old heart is beating and can’t stop watching. I suggest you do the same. Watch “High School” by AFTRHOURS here: