The track explores mental health in a very real and very relatable way.
Having already won us over with her thoughtful and melodic brand of electronic pop, Hemes is an artist that has established herself as a beacon of consistency and someone you can rely on to deliver on each coming release.
On her new track ‘Faking a smile’, the artist delves into themes such as mental health and the idea of having to mask your feelings and pretend you’re fine. There is a real depth and gravity to the lyrics of the track that are lifted somewhat by the track’s upbeat and nostalgic soundscape. This kind of juxtaposition works on a number of levels, as it both makes for a compelling and rousing sound, but also does exactly what the Hemes is talking about, the upbeat, carefree sound is concealing the downbeat vibe of these lyrics in the same way that faking a smile or saying that you’re fine would.
Speaking about the track Hemes says “I used to put some makeup on an instantly act like I was okay, and I decided to use this concept in the song because often there’s more than what meets the eye, sometimes the happiest person can actually be really struggling inside so I wanted to raise more awareness around this”.
