Bacchanalia Magazine

by Reb Jordin

Indie pop singer-songwriter Ha Vay recently released her single ‘Blush’ on May 30th to the anticipation of fans. This artist is a midsummer witch who enchants listeners with her delicate tones and poetic lyrics, with ‘Blush’ being no exception to this rule. The whole song tastes of secret gardens under strawberry moons and the heat of summer masquerading the blushes of a love taken from great poetry.

‘Blush’ begins with the gentle strum of a guitar and the whispered love spell ‘There’s blood on your lips/ Meet me on wonderland avenue/ No fear, no fight, I freely dive/ And fate plucks my eyelash’ highlighting the aura of whimsy that surrounds the whole song. Listeners are immediately immersed in the song’s secret romance, fuelled by the passion of summer heat and the freedom of leaving wishes up to the stars.

The single waltzes into the chorus with the lyrics, ‘And you start to blush (blush)/ Come closer to me (rush, rush)’ which depict a love that time can’t help but stand still for. With the headrush of first glances across crowded rooms at midnight, the exhilaration of summer smirks and first kisses under the full moon Ha Vay weaves a tapestry of this ethereal love story. Distant siren-like vocals not only draw in her muse but leave listeners obsessed with her whimsy and craving more of her manifestations. Ha Vay herself said, ‘I recorded the vocals of this song to feel whispered and breathless to capture the electric headrush of falling in love.’

‘Blush’ enters it’s second verse, home to the lyrics, ‘You are obsessed with love/ And I’m stubborn with my freedom/ It gets in the way’ conveying the heartache which comes with infatuation. He lives in a love-sick world consumed by the idea of her whilst nothing tastes as good to her as freedom… that is until she met him. But will she forfeit her wild for his calm waters or will she be the siren summer romance who will forever visit in his dreams? This theme is reinforced in the bridge, a crescendo of both euphoria and uncertainty.

The sweeping strings paint celestial daydreams of whispered confessions of love in
ballrooms entwined with flowers and stars, whilst the relentless drums mirror the pounding of a heart during love at first sight. Everything about ‘Blush’ is truly spellbinding, whether it’s the graceful production, the breathy vocals, the theatrical lyrics or the enchanting music video which accompanies the single, shot on film to further immerse listeners in Ha Vay’s timeless aesthetic. ‘Blush’ is another perfect chapter in Ha Vay’s folklore so go and give it a listen!