As children, we long for the day we grow up, jumping at every chance we get to be independent, to act like our role models and to be taken seriously. In some ways, we took for granted the simplicity we were living within and before we knew it, we lost the days that were free of worry.
Once we enter our 20s, it becomes real — life, I mean — the social clock starts ticking and every decision we make feels pertinent to the trajectory of our lives. The older we get, the more permanent things begin to feel.
Your choices, actions and relationships start defining the person you become. Rather than living, we are drowning. Frantically, we search for meaning, love and professional development like our lives depend on it.
“Falling Behind” by Laufey beautifully encapsulates this trap that so many people fall victim to. While our 20s are supposed to be about exploration, we often miss this, distracted by the world around us. Societal pressure and social comparison lead us to feel like we are not where we should be.
Laufey describes the discomfort of never having been in love while simultaneously watching everyone around her fall in love. We see those close to us hit all of these “milestones,” fall in love, get married, find a career, have kids, etc.
As we watch everyone go through these phases, checking each of them off like boxes on a list, it can easily feel like we are “falling behind.”
We slip through these cracks, feeling hopeless. Maybe we will never find the love or the purpose we are so desperately searching for.
“Falling Behind” is extremely relatable, especially for young adults living in the digital age, where we not only see what those closest to us are doing but also everyone else in the world.
She explains how her life is not going as she would hope and while everyone else is living and loving, she is “left behind.”
Her lyrics provide a space for the many who are also just trying to keep up with life while balancing this unrealistic expectation that the trajectory of our lives is linear and we all should be at the same points at the same time.
“Falling Behind” is symbolic to the theme within our society: keep up or be dropped. Though if we live to experience, why is there such a rush to complete each phase of our lives and move on to the next?
The vulnerability and realness of Laufey’s “Falling Behind” serves as a reminder to the many who just can’t seem to keep their head above water that first, you are not alone, but also, your story is individual to you. It’s ok if your story looks different from the rest and in fact, isn’t that the beauty of this life?
If you ever find yourself feeling as though you’re losing the “race” of life, I suggest you turn on “Falling Behind” and find comfort in knowing you are alongside the many battling this phenomenon.
Between the upbeat jazz flow of this song alongside the underlying message, I would rate it a 10/10 listen.
