ETERNAL YOUTH ~ “Forever Neverland” by MØ

MØ has recently released a new album called “Forever Neverland.” I’ve already listened to it multiple times because her music is so addictive. I highly recommend purchasing this beautiful masterpiece. Here are my personal thoughts about it.

MØ takes you on a lucid dream full of nostalgia, fantasy, and childlike wonder. She also reveals a love-hate relationship with California. It starts out with a theme of having fun and being a wild party animal. Being young, and crazy, and recklessly in love!

But then reality catches up to you because there is real work that needs to be done. And it feels really blurry, like you are caught between a fantasy life in your head verses the real world around you. We respond to the rude awakening by hiding away. We hide ourselves in nostalgic memories, concrete events that can’t be taken from us, things that make us feel back in control. It feels like MØ is looking back on her life and thinking, “yeah I got away with living in a dream-world when I was much younger, but now I’m older and I have greater consequences and heavier responsibilities…” and this is a depressing feeling.

The Interlude has her crying over the harshness of reality that fully reveals itself in adulthood. There is still a need to escape and regress. It is an ongoing struggle, pushing yourself to work towards the future rather than fantasize over the past. Still, it’s so important to let loose and have fun and give yourself those well-deserved hard-earned breaks from reality. Fantasy world is so much more exciting and liberating than the real world. In a rare occurrence, those two worlds can meet each other for a moment.

track-by-track breakdown

1.Intro — The album starts with an introduction that sounds slow and dreamy, containing lyrics from the final song, “Purple Like the Summer Rain.”

2. Way Down — It’s a fun song that’s all about having fun and messing around like an animal. It makes you feel like you are at a zoo, letting all the animals run loose. It ends with, “California, where your dreams come true.” There is a sense of naive optimism and reckless hopefulness. You know you’re dancing with the devil but you are having a blast and so you don’t care about the consequences.

If I’m gonna lose my mind, tell ’em I’m-a do it with style.

3. I Want You — This is when you want somebody so badly that it hurts, and it’s all you can focus on or think about. You can’t even get any real work done. You’re just caught in a fantasy land. It makes you completely forget about the real world.

Why am I running from home, in a world so cold?

4. Blur — When everything is blurry and it feels like a foggy depression. And your head is so loud that you want to hide from the world instead of going out and having fun. It’s like reality is slowly catching up to this fantasy world you are stuck in.

Started out the way I wanted but it’s weird now.

5. Nostalgia — A very bittersweet feeling to be missing the past but also feeling grateful for the memories. Novelties and “firsts” are things that cannot be replaced. Youth is full of highs that you wonder if you’ll ever be able to find again.

I know you’re hurting, I know your heart it aches…

6. Sun in Our Eyes — I really like the piano and also how catchy and uplifting the song feels. Following “Nostalgia,” I think this track is more about coming into the present moment. It’s acknowledging that nothing lasts forever, so you need to appreciate the present. And you can still reach those *highs* if you quit looking back.

You make me tremble, make me crash, forget my name.

7. Mercy — A slow song about, you guessed it, begging for mercy. When you feel like you are so powerful and untouchable, then suddenly the person you are dealing with has all the power over you because you were so reckless. And then you are left begging for their forgiveness.

Tell me it’s all a bad dream cause I just can’t be without you.

8. If It’s Over — This song is really choppy but in a good way. It’s about simply moving on and letting go without dwelling on the past at all. After you have finally come to terms with the past and found forgiveness, moving on comes naturally.

I’m just living for me but a little more vicious.

9. West Hollywood (Interlude) — A slow interlude with just vocals and minimal piano. Here, MØ is feeling seriously low and wishing that she could run back home to her mom and escape West Hollywood.

I turn on the radio but there’s nothing that I wanna hear…

10. Beautiful Wreck — I love the beat! The whole song feels very calming and dreamy. I feel like this is where the artist is saying, “no matter my age, this is who I am.” Being reckless can be a beautiful thing.

And I feel like I’ve been losing my mind again, I’m your beautiful wreck, baby.

11. Red Wine — This is the perfect song to dance to while drinking a glass red wine. Everyone needs a break from reality here and there. You can still find freedom without regressing back into the past.

Don’t give a damn about the rumors, yeah I prefer mystery.

12. Imaginary Friend — The best things in life are not what you can see, but what you can touch and feel. It’s a creative concept; as children we have imaginary friends and then as adults we can find a *different* type of imaginary friend.

Watch me, watch me, watch me with your hands.

13. Trying to Be Good — Struggling to follow the rules of society and meet the expectations of others… feeling tempted by somebody. This is probably the worst type of “reality check” you can feel.

Your eyes darken the sky that I’m breathing.

14. Purple Like the Summer Rain — Soothing sound. We are all chasing after youth, but naturally it pulls away from us further and further. So, what is a girl to do? Cling to childhood or become crippled by adulthood? There are special moments in life where our wildest fantasies become real life.

This is what a universal fairytale is made of.