Speaking from personal experience, before you can love others or let others love you, it’s important to love yourself first.
I think Lindsay Clark would agree with me. Her song, “Better Way,” serves as a proponent for self-love through a reflection on experiences of self-destruction and toxicity.
The first word that comes to mind is “pretty.” That’s probably the easiest way I can describe this song. This acoustic folk tune, accompanied by violins, soothing melodies, and gardenlike imagery, aims to foster peace in a number of ways and relaxes you. It felt like I was being almost nurtured, thanks to the song’s optimistic and tender nature. I can only imagine Clark wanted to create a sweet feeling with this song, and she succeeded. Triumphant self-love anthems are inspiring and all, but it’s refreshing to hear a song with a similar message that wasn’t necessarily intimidating or impersonal. With this track, you can tell Lindsay Clark is passionate about her message.
“Let yourself be loved in a better way”
From the get-go, this line is fairly enigmatic. We aren’t quite sure whether we’re being encouraged to feel love from ourselves or others, but we know we’re being spoken to regardless of our situation. At one point in my life, I probably could have used this song as a motivational cheer for self-love, but now I can view it as a reminder to not let myself waste time on people who may not put in enough effort or care. “Better Way” is versatile in that sense, but it’s not even remotely pandering. It’s great that way.
“I’m not free for any use // Why do you want to take me from me?”
This might be the most powerful lyric in the song. It’s not as soft as the rest, but rather powerful and forthcoming. Throughout the song, we’re indulged in hypotheticals and an awareness of the singer’s anxiety and troubles, but now we see Clark stand up for herself for the first time. It’s refreshing and encouraging, and it serves as a reminder to us all that we shouldn’t be ashamed to voice your concerns or tell someone how they made us feel.
“Better Way,” which was released on June 6th, is set to appear on Clark’s upcoming full-length album, Carpe Noctem. It’s expected to be filled with poetic, enchanting gems like this one.
