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The vitality of the season returns through the enchanting songs of summer.
“A place of peace, or a realm of dreams”
Start your summer journey with the soothing music of Sufjan Stevens. The lingering melody of Should Have Known Better gently guides listeners on a mental stroll, allowing the feet to rest while observing the sunlight sparkling like a slow-motion film. Sufjan’s music is a catalyst for unraveling inner thoughts, connecting with the world around and letting the mind drift with endless emotions.
Since the release of the film Call Me By Your Name, the song Mystery of Love has become a summer hallmark with its depiction of a passionate yet elusive love as radiant as the Mediterranean sun. Sufjan’s “rebellion” is very gentle, whispering tales of journeys, faith and legends. His voice softens against the backdrop of a steadily plucked banjo, evoking a sense of longing for the dreams just laid out before us. Visions of Gideon or Futile Devices will complete the musical journey if you are not yet ready to leave this tranquil countryside setting.
Lively sounds
If Sufjan’s music is like a door opening to a gentle and elegant party, then Harry Styles’ tracks represent sizzling summer days at the beach. On his album Fine Line, summer exudes a sensual, dazzling charm, highlighted by Watermelon Sugar with its trumpet sounds evoking a bustling summer of love.
A celebration of summer would be incomplete without partying with friends or losing oneself in concerts. These fiery moments are depicted through the clapping rhythms and choir in Treat People With Kindness. Harry’s summer is a multi-colored canvas filled with lively trumpets, drums, electronic sounds and smooth harmonies, urging listeners to free their bodies and dance.
But these summer days are also full of complex emotions. The album captures the whole party, from the giddy highs to the melancholy end, bursting with energy and gradually winding down as the sun sets. To Be So Lonely feels like Harry’s confession after carefree vacation days. The ukulele strumming mixed with strings creates a blend of innocent joy and contemplation. We know the fun has ended through the lyrics: “Don’t call me ‘baby’ again, it’s hard for me to go home, to be so lonely.”
The cycle of summer
Many Vietnamese songs also evoke unique summer emotions inspired by the country’s natural rhythms and landscapes. “Chuon bay thap troi mua/ Chuon bay cao troi nang/ Chuon bay vua, doi anh” (When dragonflies fly low, it rains / When they fly high, it’s sunny / When they fly at mid-height, I wait for you) are playful lyrics by singer Ngoc Khue, bringing back memories of the 2000s. Chuon Chuon Ot is a cheerful yet nostalgic contemporary folk song, rich with the observations of musician Le Minh Son about the image of “smoke rising from the kitchen,” dragonflies perched on the branches of the Chinese parasol trees, and sweat drops compared to raindrops. It recalls a time of harmony with nature, when people were moved by its changes and inspired to contemplate the cycles of life and love.
And the flow of Vietnamese music proves that inspiration is cyclical, dissipating and then returning, igniting new vitality. Mr. Tung, a young musician, has brought the image of the dragonfly back with a fresh vitality that contains the voice of today’s generation. The song Chuon Chuon is like an unsent letter from the artist in which he muses about a late summer love. If Le Minh Son’s Chuon Chuon Ot unfolds a natural scene to describe emotions, then in Chuon Chuon, the lyrics fully encompass the transformations and reflections within the artist’s heart.
The creative impulse from nature been channeled by young artists to express their feelings sincerely. Popular songs like Endless Summer, Your Summer, and Adventures show that the versatile young generation of artists is recreating a new musical landscape rich in personal expression, diverse in emotions and experimenting with various musical genres from folk and bossa nova to R&B and alternative rock.
Alongside absorbing new musical ideas, we can also hear more familiar sounds imbued with a Vietnamese philosophy of life. Let’s conclude with the lyrics from Vao Ha by Le Huu Ha: “Ta rong choi phieu lang cuoi troi/ Doi bot beo phu du kiep nguoi/ Du qua bao nhieu dang cay van cuoi/ Vi doi con mua ha tuoi vui, va long con nhieu dieu muon noi” (“We wander at the edge of the sky / Life is fleeting and ephemeral / Despite the bitterness, we still smile / Because life still has joyful summers, and the heart still has much to say”). The message shines brightly for the season: no matter what life brings, don’t forget to live optimistically, for we will always have radiant summers in our lives.
