“Ribs” by Tirzah is the kind of song you can feel vibrating in your bones. Although this song appears in the indie pop category, the soothing, uplifting lyrics and acoustic vibe give me hints of an R&B love song. It’s like a message in a bottle sent from one lover to another, and we’ve had the pleasure of intercepting it as it washes up on shore.
What stood out to me the most when I first heard “Ribs” was how strong and brash the string instruments are. Initially it was not very pleasing to my ears, but as the song continued I realized it acted as a contrast to the artist’s gentle voice. The sounds bring out the best in each other.
The song begins with a minute-long instrumental as the artist whispers “maybe” in the background — a soft transition into the song’s only two verses.
For you, it’s nothing, giving it, I’ll give it all to you / Hold on to me / In every way, I’m watching over you and see you rise up, too / Flying high, baby
Tirzah offers her partner reassurance, protection, and peace-of-mind in these lines. The first verse is very encouraging; it’s refreshing considering music nowadays is saturated with sad experiences. Many of the songs I’ve reviewed spoke on negative experiences with lovers, but Tirzah highlights a partner who makes her feel comfortable enough to let her guard down.
The third line stuck with me; I love that the artist gives her partner their flowers while also letting them know that she has their back. It exhibits words of affirmation as a love language.
Can’t imagine any other state of mind when this can be true / Always, baby / Learning from you
In the second verse, the artist expresses her gratitude for what this partner has done for her. It’s clear that this relationship is not your typical, surface-level connection. The goal is to be with someone who you can grow with, someone who is working every day to become a better version of themselves. If you aren’t learning from your significant other, you probably aren’t working towards the right things.
It seems being with this person has brought the artist a feeling of enlightenment. When you find someone who fulfills you on a deeper level and takes care of your needs beyond the physical, it changes your entire outlook on love. In a good way, of course. It’s like having something authentic after having something off-brand for years. Once you get a taste of how good it is, you can’t go back to the old stuff. In this case, now that Tirzah knows how healthy a relationship can be, she can’t go back to anything that isn’t serving her in the same way.
