In your life, you’ve most likely become familiar with the saying, “With that attitude, nothing will get done.” That same saying applies to the cynics. Specifically, now with modern love, it’s easy to accept defeat when it comes to the absurd standards and new stigmas people exercise and adhere to until the point of burnout. What once was so sacred to feel love has now changed to a feeling of impending doom, and is notorious for its fleeting nature.

An album that symbolizes this new form of love is TV Girl’s album, “Who Really Cares,” where topics of intense emotions of infatuation and the toxic endeavors are characterized in relationships. The album is laced with melancholy, yet it displays a deeper message. To realize the severity of something to navigate it seriously, you have to realize that if you never bleed, you’re never going to grow. Here are four of the 10 tracks that illustrate the inevitable in every love story and the merciless wave of depression. 

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“Taking What’s Not Yours”

“I don’t really know if she knows or not

But I left some things in her jewelry box 

And she’s wearing out my rings 

Taking the compliments meant for me”

Here, what seems so thoughtful and genuine is laced with malice, highlighting how toxic relationships don’t necessarily end at their breakup. The character narrated in this song is seen as a clingy boyfriend who can’t accept that he has cut ties with his ex-girlfriend and tries to find any way he can to still be a part of her life. The song is titled as a way to validate his stalking behavior as revenge for her taking his heart and leaving him to deal with the debris. The “soldier,” in this case, depicts the memories of his and her relationship, as they may not be physically reliving it, but reminders will forever linger as long as she continues to mourn. 

“Cigarettes Out The Window” 

“We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty 

Because when you call my name through them, there’ll be no answer 

Rather melodramatic, aren’t you? 

We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty”

Do you know that one song that brings tremendous flashbacks once you listen to it, like smelling an ancient perfume that brings you back a couple of years? Well, this song highlights that specific sense of déjà vu one has when they mourn another and try to cope with it by replaying the same feeling continuously, specifically through music. The song interludes with a bedroom pop melody to explore self-destructive habits, such as smoking, to get a grasp of escapism from the relationship’s tragedy. Specifically, the character in the song, Liddy, is portrayed as a girl who smokes, symbolizing how distraught she is for watching her relationship turn into tangled tendrils of smoke that become another chaotic epiphany in the universe.

“For You”

“(For You) Lonesome poets throwing glitter in their hair

(For You) Doing somersaults and exploding mid-air

(For You) By you don’t ever notice, or you don’t care, or both 

And when they take off all their clothes 

Were they still not close enough-?”

From the fast background vocals to the faster and rhythmic portions of the song, TV Girl creates a journey of beauty, which underlies the true meaning of the song. Throughout the song, TV Girl explores toxic relationship dynamics and the themes of heartbreak that follow. Each part of the song reminisces on the happy memories that they had drained by their toxic partner. While being stuck with this toxic partner, it brings the feeling of not being able to let go. Specifically, the sardonic lyrics make the protagonist feel as though they were never enough, when in reality, they gave so much for so little in return. Although leaving this toxic relationship is incredibly difficult, it was for the best and allowed them to put all that happiness that was drained into something more positive.  

“Loving Machine” 

“‘Cause he’ll never leave 

No, he will never leave

Will he ever pull her hair like she likes? 

No, but that’s alright 

Maddie Klein and her fabulous loving machine” 

The feeling that technology is becoming far too advanced and will eventually replace humans is exactly what is being experienced in this song. Throughout the song, this theme is being explored through the cynical and modern relationship, where a woman named Maddie Klevin dates a “loving machine.” It highlights the preference for somebody reliable compared to typical men, who are seen as unreliable and will eventually break their heart. From the artificial relationship that Maddie has created, it gives her safety as it won’t break her heart and be turned off, although she misses having a human partner. Although the comfort provided by the artificial partner provides safety, it will never provide the same connection as one with a human, which everyone requires. 

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The crazy standards and stigmas that come with relationships are always inevitable. yet there’s nothing that can be done. As long as both partners are aware of this and know how to prevent it then it will always be avoided. Additionally, with every relationship there are always ups and downs, yet if the worst comes, there’s music to provide comfort. Through the melancholy tone of each song curated by TV Girl, there is something relatable that provides an escape from this inevitable growing world that continues to constrain social norms.