Bacchanalia Magazine

by Reb Jordin

Iris Jean, an indie singer songwriter, recently released her debut single ‘Sleep Tonight’ on March 8th . Jean rapidly gained fans through social media platforms who have excitedly awaited this single for quite some time, ‘Sleep Tonight’ was written for one of Jean’s friends who was going through a tough time which is something many listeners can relate too.

The single begins with the serene strum of a guitar and the peaceful notes of the piano
mixed flawlessly with the artist’s calming vocals to create a song reminiscent of a comforting lullaby, whisking the listener into a tranquil state. The first lyrics, ‘don’t look behind, the tears in your eyes. They’ll fall asleep, know you’ve been feeling tired’ convey intimately the struggle of trying not to focus on the pain and negative feelings which can consume many of us whilst also explaining that these feelings are valid, and you are not alone in the battle against poor mental health. A steady drumbeat is added as these words are sung to stabilise the listener and distract them from the chaos of their everyday life.

Swiftly, we enter the pre-chorus with the lyrics, ‘but the way you are, you set the world apart, and light a shade in the dark.’ Jean tells listeners here that although you are feeling these awful things your existence helps to define the life of another and without the light you shine on them, despite the darkness you may feel, it would completely change the way this person would look at the world. This moment suggests that even though you feel weak and in pain right now, just by being yourself has a positive effect on someone else’s life. This helps the listener in not giving up on themselves as their presence even on their worst days helps to support someone else without them even realising it. The drumbeat builds as the music grows into the chorus creating more of a slow dance feeling then a lullaby as the listener clings onto Jean’s affirmations of it will all get better eventually.

The single then moves to its chorus with the lyrics, ‘I know, it’s not so easy no, just wish you’d sleep tonight’. This helps the listener feel supported in their potential plight of mental health issues as they feel seen and heard by an artist who only wishes the best for them. Sleep is the land of wonder and hope where we can go to hide from the suffering of today’s world, Jean wishes for us to take some respite there away from the ghosts of negative thoughts which haunt us in the daylight. Although when going through a period of bad mental health people tend to resist sleep and instead obsess over the toxic voices screaming in their heads, as soon as they find the whimsical land of sleep they can escape from these issues.

‘Sleep Tonight’ then explores the lyrics, ‘there’s no power in shame, nothings ever too heavy to say. There’s an army beside you, promise you won’t go away’. This moment promotes reaching out if you’re struggling as there is people who want to help you, free from embarrassment or judgement, they just want to preserve the person who helped to shape their lives and makes their world a more positive place.

In entering the second chorus Jean continuously repeats the line, ‘just wish you’d sleep tonight’ as a killer electric guitar hums in the background. This casts a protection spell on the listener and is a positive manifestation for granting them the prize of a hopeful dreamland and a night of restoration. Jean’s closing vocals mirror the beginning of the single which could both symbolise the cyclical structure of bad mental health claiming the mind of another whilst others escape from it, whilst also sending the listener into a dream-like state as the song is restored to its earlier lullaby status in the cathartic release of negative emotions through the protection of sleep.

So go and give Iris Jean’s ‘Sleep Tonight’ a listen to experience its calming nature and
beautifully crafted lyrics for yourself. Also give the accompanying music video a watch as we anticipate what comes next for the clearly talented Iris Jean.