With a new sincere and relatable new single, Oakland-born, LA-raised singer-songwriter Tessa Rae makes her comeback, sharing with the audience her sonic transition to indie and folk sounds that blend with her voice in a perfect way. If you still like me in the morning tells a story that speaks to the new generations and the different ways of understanding love that exist today, where situationships are now more common than actual relationships, opening a space for jealousy and trust issues to crawl into our hearts.
The bedroom pop sound is one that has connected very effectively with the audience in the last couple of years. There's something about the rawness and sincerity of this genre that makes the songs we listen to feel more relatable and personal than ever. Tessa Rae taps into this style, adding it to her now signature folk and indie sound, to deliver if you still like me in the morning, a song that, just like its name, reflects uncertainty, anxiety, desire, and love in a soft and vulnerable way.
The atmospheric song is inspired by the idea of someone you are into going back to their ex, a dream (or nightmare) Tessa once had. The sonic elements implemented, where the softness of her voice is blended seemingly with an ethereal melody and a cadence that feels similar to the character of dreams, add to the intention the song has, where, rather than manifesting the feelings openly, you keep them to yourself and ponder quietly about them. “What if she shows up at the right time and the mood’s right? And you let her in?” are lyrics that I’m almost sure have crossed our minds on some quiet nights.
The visual part of the release also matched the meaning of the song with a video shot by Shane McCauley, where Tessa focuses particularly on the clothing choices and the contrast they have between day and night to reflect the different energies we can portray depending on what we choose to wear and how this might communicate deeper feelings that inhabit inside us. “We dress up, do our hair and makeup, and it can feel really powerful to choose how we present ourselves to the world. But you always wonder if someone will still like you first thing when you wake up, in your most raw and vulnerable state.”
Preparing for the release of her Sweetly, Softly EP later this summer and crafting compelling pop music through a multitude of stylistic lenses, Tessa is setting the tone for her exciting year to come, and we can't wait to see what's next.