Jakob Lui – Friends (2021)
Throughout life, friends come and go but it can be hard to determine if you are surrounded by true friends or not. Jakob Lui is drawing on his own questioning of this for his aptly titled single ‘Friends’. Through the track, he questions friendships while confronting the conflicting feeling of caring for friends but not wanting to be used by them. With a touch of sadness paired with some energetic vibes, he looks at feeling lonely in a crowded room.
A multi-instrumentalist, Lui created and recorded every part of the single in his home studio. He started making his own music at 16 and has since honed his production and songwriting skills. While the single could take a very sad turn, there is a hopefulness within it that leads you to think that friendships can evolve for the better.
‘Friends’ thrums into your ears with a rather mellow sound that sinks into your brain. The thrumming tones are met by a more rock guitar movement that pulls you forward into the soundscape. The beats and thrumming bass continue through the track and drive you further into the song. The rock guitars come and go which enhances the movement of the melody and bolsters the emotive impact of the vocals.
Lui’s vocals have a slight drone to them that catches the back of your brain. His vocal performance has a tired feeling that comes from feeling like you are being used by others. While keeping this tiredness on the chorus, the lyrics take a turn to impart the fact that you still care for the person who is using you. When combined with the melody, the tired vocals perfectly bring feeling alone while surrounded by those who are meant to be your friends. In the last moments of the single, there is a confession in the lyrics that is raw and really heartfelt.
Jakob Lui captures the feeling of being used by a friend and the tiredness that comes from this repeatedly happening in ‘Friends’. The steady pace of the melody drives you forward while the tired feeling to the vocals pushes the messaging of the track home. The lyrics bring an interplay of being done with everything and not wanting to leave the friendship because you still care.
