phem Gets Real in Latest Single "Watery"
Prepare to cry. Alt-pop artist phem strikes a chord with listeners in her latest single, "watery." The single is a vulnerable piece of work that tackles mental health while fuzzy instrumentation plays out over the genre-bending artist's intoxicating vocals.
It might be a bit on the nose to say that "watery" is a tear-jerker of a song with its poignant lyrics, but it wastes no time showcasing phem's ability to create music that feels cathartic and relatable. The track opens with her setting the sonic scene in front of muffled, drowned-out guitar riffs. The single builds as phem questions, "How do I just live my whole life / Without a clue on how to do it," and express frustration over the other people's expectations for her to have it all together.
"The night that watery was conceived was not the same day it was recorded," shares phem. "These were words I wrote down when I was all alone in the middle of the night… feeling really hopeless about the magnitude of things I had to take care of. Nobody had any answers or solutions for me. The feelings were so overwhelming that I couldn't cry. I kinda just laid there with watery eyes. A drop never even got to fall… and that's an even darker feeling than actually being able to cry."
Before the official release, the song already had a life of its own on social media, with fans across the globe singing along to the ultra-catchy chorus. The song stemmed from a place of genuine authenticity and was written about the singer's personal mental health journey. "I couldn't have expected it would resonate so deeply with people.. i guess its the feelings of hopelessness & the simplicity in which i describe it. that might be more relatable than trying to be overly poetic about it," phem explains.
Watch the "watery" lyric video below:
