Figures by Jessie Reyez is probably the best song you’ll hear all week. Don’t get me wrong here, this site is not going into some sort of Blog-overhype-mode, but this song is brilliant. Trust me. It all started late last week. I was sitting on the Sbahn back home on Friday night. After work I met a friend at our usual Friday night bar for a few beers and some conversations. It wasn’t a late night, but late enough to feel a little dizzy from the beers and cigarettes. Just before I left the office, my colleague had sent an email with our favorite songs of the week. When I got to the pub, she had just sent a short message: The video our boss sent is beautiful. The song anyway. Unfortunately the reception in the pub was so bad (thanks Berlin) that the mobile internet wouldn’t allow me to pull it up right away. I didn’t even see the title or artist the song was from. So a couple of hours later, I was sitting on the train, headphones on and music on nearly full volume.
Figures I gave you ride or die and you gave me games
A single guitar plucking away. Swaying in and out. Jessie Reyez‚ voice croons, sways, rasps, fights. It’s wonderfully simplistic. In the video, Reyez is sitting on a chair. She pulls her hair. She nervously squeezes her fingers. Gliding from one side of the chair to the other. She pulls her shirt down in pain. The kind of pain only another person can cause. I wish I could hurt you back love, what would you do if you couldn’t get me back? Reyez asks in the chorus. You’re the one who’s gonna lose something so special, something so real. I feel her.
A girl sits down opposite of me. She’s beautiful but in complete opposite mood of what I’m hearing. She gets her phone out. Smiles at every new message flickering into her face. She’s definitely on the way to meet her gaffer. My mind starts to wander as I click on the play button again. What if she’s the one who caused the heartache? What if she was responsible for Figures? Would I find her attractive if she was responsible for making someone suffer so much? You say sorry once and you think it’s enough, I got a lineup of girls and a lineup of guys begging for me just to give ‚em a try. Yes girl! That’s it. Just don’t let nobody get you down. Fuck those who don’t appreciate you. Fuck those who prefer looking for an adventure. It’s the last sign of defiance before the pain takes over again. You can tell by Reyez‘ voice. The last chorus crackles, she fights her tears, the lump in her throat. She exhales the last Figures about a minute before the song finally fades out. It’s her last word. The sign of resignation. The final sign of defeat. In the video you can see Reyez collapsing into her arms. And oh boy, I feel her pain.
Header © Jessie Reyez
