If you turn on the radio today, it’d be easy to believe that there are only so many ways to write a pop song. In a world where the music industry has forgone creativity in favor of commercial viability, it can become difficult to find anything truly unique. Thankfully, bands like Cat Ryan (an England-based trio) are carrying the torch forward with their creative new pop song, “Blessed Through the TV.”
Beginning with Asian-inspired instruments, the creativity within this song is immediately apparent. Soon after, a drum beat joins in to carry the song forward. Over a backdrop which is instrumentally reminiscent of something off of Paramore’s latest album, After Laughter singer Mary-Anne Murphy begins to sing, “When the ground freezes over / There’s no way I’m leaving here.” Essentially stating that no matter what happens, good or bad, she’s going to remain exactly where she is. She further doubles down on her previous statement, “I don’t depend on the seasons / I’m steering through the whole year.” No matter the ups and downs of the various seasons, and the poor weather they might bring, she’s prepared to steer through it all.
In the pre-chorus, Murphy emphasizes her desire for this relationship to work out, “I want this to flow / Like rain falls down a slope.” After a short instrumental interlude, the chorus brings us to a quieter moment in the song before re-introducing the drums and quickly picking the pace back up. With lyrics such as, “Blessed by the Pope through the TV,” I believe a sense of hopeless optimism is being displayed. What comes to mind are the televangelists of the 70’s, who would charge people money over the phone to receive blessings through their television screen. “I want you to place your hand up to mine, right against your television, and repeat this prayer,” I recall one saying from a documentary I watched a short while back.
Now being more direct, Murphy sings the lines, “I’m always tryna please ya / But I feel I’m overdoing it / I don’t receive the same love / But I really don’t wanna quit.” While the instruments in the background have remained the same since the previous verse, the lyrics are now showing a sense of vulnerability and directness. Instead of alluding to the weather and seasons, she is now revealing how she feels in exact words, “Although you are here / Half of you’s always gone.” Even though she realizes that she is willingly putting more into this person than she is receiving back, it is still draining to her to continue pushing forward.
As if she has been using this song to walk through her thoughts and emotions, we’ve seen her go from claiming that, “There’s no way I’m leaving here,” to further expressing her doubts about this person and how she is treated by them, “How long am I gonna let it be? / How long ‘til you’re walking all over me? / You say that you care but i don’t see / I need you, but you don’t need me.” It’s during this verse that Murphy comes to her realization that this can only last for so long, and that in the end it might be better for her to step away.
Of course, caring for people is important. Heck, sometimes caring too much can even feel good if that’s your personality-type. However, as this song beautifully outlines, this sort of super one-sided relationship can only last for so long. It’s important to be able to take a step back and realize when you’re exhausting too much of your mental health for someone who wouldn’t do the same for you, and as difficult as it can be, call it off. While this is a story all too common, Cat Ryan has managed to put an interesting sonic twist on how the story plays out, which is sure to make an impact among a sea of generic pop songs.
