joan’s "nervous" Has Arrived Just in Time for Valentine’s Day
It’s February, which means it’s the month of all things love, and what better way to start the season of flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears than with a song about exactly that? Alt-pop duo joan's latest single "nervous" has arrived just in time for the Valentine’s Day season.
"nervous" is all about the initial, intoxicating stages of realizing that you really, really like someone. When you’re not around them, their presence consumes your entire being, and when you finally see them in person, you walk in the other direction because, simply put, they make you nervous. joan lists off all the things they do around their crush, from twisting the chain on their necklace, trying not to throw up their breakfast, and eventually, obsessively trying to hide. "nervous" has a certain precocious innocence to it that reminds me of catching butterflies for the first time in elementary school. joan sings, “You make me nervous and now I’m slurring my words and it’s like you do it on purpose.” Through their storytelling alone, joan successfully captures the nostalgia of childhood love.
The production of "nervous" is just as cute as its songwriting. joan stays true to their signature alt-pop sound, using beatboxing, claps, and acoustic guitars to echo the playfulness of the track’s lyricism. Towards the last chorus, the instruments crescendo into a radiant soundscape, perhaps emblematic of the emotional buildup of the narrative at play.
The band shares, "We wrote this song with the lovely Emily Falvey of Nashville and Jonathan Capeci from Nightly, and the second we all walked into the room together there was immediate chemistry between us. We wanted to get as close to the emotion of a sort of school like love story, where you constantly want to be around them but you also literally feel like you’re going to throw up because you’re so... nervous (wink), and you don’t want to say the wrong thing around them. it’s such a cool and distinct feeling, we hope this song takes you back to that place.”
Along with the release of "nervous" is its official music video. Directed by Brandon Waddell, Joel Nix, and Matt Miller, the visuals are as artsy as they come, using projectors to play with perspective as hues of bright blues, pinks, and greens, and hand-drawn animations dance across the screen. The music video is equal parts captivating and stunning, as if an art deco painting was brought to life.
joan’s debut album superglue is set for release this spring. Until then, you can catch the band on their U.S. nationwide tour, announced last month.
Watch the "nervous" video below:
