SOUNDTRACK: AURORA-“Cure for Me” (2021).
Aurora seems to be a lot more prolific these days. Or, at least, she’s more visible–releasing playlists and lots of other online items. She has also released this new single. I was delighted to hear it get some airplay on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation.
Starting with a slinky synth sound and a pulsing beat, Aurora sings in a whispery voice.
I run from the liars, the fuel on the fire
I know I created myself
As the bridge comes in she sings an uncharacteristic deep note (accentuating her accent a bit) and then after 45 second the super catchy chorus bursts forth
It’s the most dancey song she’s done so far (even more so than the dancey “Queendom”) and it’s positive and self-affirming:
I don’t need a cure for me
I don’t need it
If you don’t feel like moving to this song, you need to listen again–it’ll get you.
About this song she writes (from NME):
Like always, I got inspired by a really huge, dark and horrible thing that happens in the world. The first seed of inspiration came from thinking about the countries where it’s still legal to do conversion therapy for gay people and lesbians. I just thought that’s so pointless. The first idea was me saying, ‘I don’t need a cure for me – just let me live, man!’”
She continued: “Why is it so difficult for people to just let others be themselves? Then I thought that it could mean many other things. People tend to believe quite quickly that something is wrong with them if they’re not like the people they see in front of them. It’s so sad that it doesn’t take much for us to really doubt ourselves.”
Right on.
[READ: July 20, 2021] “Wealth of Memory”
This story comes from a book called Alien Stories. This title has multiple meanings, obviously.
I love the way the story is set up:
One of the things he found most fascinating about America was that there were memory Stores on almost every street corner. A person could simply walk into any of the stores and sell heir memories for money.
What a wonderfully succinct introduction to this world.
There were other things he liked about America–twist off beer bottles!–but he was most intrigued by the Memory Stores.
The first time he went in, he was just curious. The employee was calming and encouraging–it’s easy and doesn’t hurt at all.
When he was let go from his job at Work Ready he went back to the Memory Store. He was hooked up to the device and remembered the day he won top marks in his school and he ran all the way home to tell him grandmother. She was very proud of him–even prouder than he was of himself.
The employee told him the memory was great–emotional, real, and full of joy–a rare combination anymore. The employee gave him a card with far more money than he ever expected and told him that he would never have access to that memory again–it was gone.
We never learn what they do with the memories.
When the money ran out, he went back. This time he remembered the day before he left for America. How he promised to make money for his grandmother and come back one day.
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