“What We Had” by Kelsie Kimberlin has all the makings of a great pop song: a catchy melody, personal lyrics, and a captivating music video with a hidden message.
Kimberlin is Ukrainian-American and based out of Washington DC. A lot of her music holds double meaning and “What We Had” is the newest addition to her collection. This song talks about overcoming a bad relationship both personally and with one’s country. She’s using this song as an opportunity to speak up about the harsh living conditions and war breaking out in Ukraine. Kimberlin made “Stand With Ukraine” as part of the YouTube title and painted her nails yellow and blue resembling the flag.
Kimberlin’s voice has a unique tone that’s light, airy and a bit raspy. Her singing in this song feels very conversational like she’s talking directly to you. Her lyrics are easy to hear and stand out against the soft instrumentals.
My favorite line from this song is:
I am not a tire swing
Another plaything
Another fling
I’ve gotta feel good
I think a tire swing is such a powerful metaphor for how it feels to be pushed around. It can be hard to steady a tire swing and just as hard to steady one’s emotions after dealing with a difficult relationship.
The visuals for this music video fit the tone of the song very well. Kimberlin is in a dark room with random furniture scattered about. She projects a video of herself and talks to the video as if getting advice. The ending of the video finishes with a canvas up in flames resembling her new beginning.
Reviewed by Gabriela Huselton
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