Pure Heaven
Juna - Clairo (Newer Music Friday)
Normally when I hear the phrase “song of the summer”, I think of something upbeat; a tune to represent the high-energy the sunshine and longer days give the world. Throughout this summer I spent a lot of time in the car with my twin, driving to and from rehearsals & eventually the performances of a very special project we got to do. It was on one of these car rides that she took the musical reins and gave me a terrific song of the summer in the form of Clairo’s wonderfully warm “Juna”. I can still see it now… as the first beautiful swell of chords came, the speed limit decreased and the sun came out from behind a cloud. It was like the world had to slow down and widen its eyes in amazement at the pure heaven coming from the speakers!
This song is pure cotton candy, sticky sweet and subtly bright. There’s this little hint of melancholy to the gentleness that makes it even more irresistible, a feat that is impressive to fathom. Everything about “Juna” is carefully crafted and buttery smooth, with production that is absolutely irresistible. Clairo has these very breathy vocals that complement the song well, giving a lovestruck but casual tone to the words. The little harmonies that glide on top are just enough to be appreciated, but stay back to let the lead shine. The keyboard is the standout for me, bell tones that contrast against a traditional piano to provide a cozy familiarity. And man, you KNOW I can’t resist a good horn section, something this tune really nails.
“Juna” is a song so good that I’m convinced it lives in my dreams. I could listen for hours and days and months and years and never, ever get sick of it. I look back on this summer with a bittersweet lens, because while it was awesome and amazing, I’m onto new stuff now. Thanks to my sister for giving me a great song to put the memories to!
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