Cuco's 'Pendant' Is a Psychedelic Dedication to His Late Grandfather
Proclaiming it to be the best song heâs made yet, Cucoâs latest single âPendantâ touches the unspoken, delivering a groovy piano ballad that reminisces on old hellos while saying its final goodbye.
Mexican-American musician Cucoâs reputation is fortified, which brings forth the challenge: what do you create when itâs assumed itâll be gold no matter what? Are there rocks still left unturned, crevices of heartbreak left unpronounced?
Singing over what feels to be an entire symphony, Cuco delivers his most personal work yet. Produced alongside Johan Lenox, thereâs a psychedelic element to this track, encompassing a true trip to the ethers.
We tend to cower from our fear of death, avoiding the pain of its confrontation by engorging ourselves with feigned immortality. We assume weâll never have to say goodbye, then are jolted with the sobering realization once itâs too late and we only have our own hand to hold.
âI started to write pendant while my grandpa was still alive and after his passing, I felt like I had to finish the song for him," shares Cuco. "I feel like it holds relevance to any guiding figure in your life.â
âTime has disappeared but all your love still feels the same.â âPendantâ is an ode to the time traveler who is still here yet on their way out. With an essence of young Elton John, Cuco works to pry out the gratitude of the life lived together and the pain of knowing the credits are beginning to roll.
âPendantâ is a song much bigger than its washed-out synths. Itâs a warm blanket draped over any soul thatâs felt abandoned by loss, left alone to process an emotion weâve never been taught how to feel.
Closing with âFly high, my friеnd / I'll see you again / Iâll find my way / Iâll be okay,â thereâs hope to be found in the truth that through embodied art, memories reminisced, and a soul reunion beyond the veil, our goodbyes are truly only see you laters. Cuco has immortalized his grandfather on âPendant,â and built a warm fire for anyone victimized by time.
Listen to "Pendant" below: