Sophia Alexa - 'The Way You See Me'
Newcomer Sophia Alexa follows her springtime EP and brilliant recent performances at Barn on the Farm and Live and Leeds with stunning single ‘The Way You See Me’, pulling harder than ever on all our heartstrings.
2022 is proving to be quite the year for singer-songwriter Sophia Alexa as her upcoming track ‘The Way You See Me’ marks her 5th release since January. With so much happening for this up-and-coming artist, this song has a notable peaceful feel to it; a quiet calm amidst what has been a hot and hectic few months. The song continues the wistful and ethereal nostalgia emulated in Alexa’s previous EP ‘Groundwork’ and her stunning lyricism and melodies capture her personal experiences with a difficult and taxing relationship.
The opening of the song sets the retrospective mood for the track. There is a moments delay before the guitar begins to play, a static sound that almost is reminiscent of a vinyl crackle. Alexa has in the past proven herself an old-soul through her lyrics but this is bringing a new layer of meaning. The first lines ‘I grew up on a feeling I could make amends, two looks in the mirror making lies up in my head. Now you’re calling me a stranger and scaring me to death’ are somber and wistful, made all the more potent by Alexa’s gentle tone. It seems fitting that in so much of the promotion for this track Alexa has surrounded herself in nature imagery; the beginning of the song emulates the kind of feeling you get when walking alone through a forest-it is contemplative, thoughtful, but also has a sad sincerity to it.
As the chorus comes in, Alexa continues to talk about the feeling of falling for an idealized version of someone and building up a love for someone that is based on lies. In the opening lines she talks about her reflection and lies-as these lies progress and are fueled by the relationship she begins to understand that she has not fallen in love with the person, but rather with the way he makes her feel. She explains that she used the relationship as ‘a lighter but the lighting wasn’t fair’; the fire and passion she feels build from the love between them is false. She believed that her partner wanted to fall in love with someone who ‘fit the picture’ and out of desperation for the feeling of being loved, she chose to make herself fill the mold. Now that she is wanting to live and love as herself, she fears that she will be alone because her partner will see her, only for real this time.
Sophia’s influences are particularly resonant in this track. There is an interesting dichotomy between the lessons of this song and that of Carole King’s ‘Natural Woman’; though it is never explicitly referenced there is somewhat of a dialogue between the two. Whilst in this track Alexa’s love is built upon the idea of her partner ‘seeing a version of her’ and the desire to fitting into what you believe someone else wants, King’s song speaks to the idea of being made to feel like yourself. One of her many idols and influences, there is a hope for Alexa in the aftermath of this song that she will find someone who can make her feel this way. While the overall tone of the track is contemplative and wistful, there is a hopeful message that brings a silver lining to the song. Just as the chords and harmonies reach a melodic resolve, Alexa finishes the song with the understanding that she has to be true to herself. Though admittedly it is too late for this relationship to work, there is a sense that she will grow and learn from her past decisions to pretend. The overall meaning of the song is not one of spite or resentment, but rather acknowledging that to truly love someone, you have to let them love you as your most authentic self.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
