Gloria Cho '26
Edited by Julie Lee '25
In a society driven by success, the hungry strive to achieve greatness has blurred the perception of success. The accumulation of fame and the resultant wealth and notoriety often promote the idea that success only comes with influence and monetary achievement. While there is nothing wrong with fame being the definer of one's success, it should be acknowledged that even at the peak of this success, it is an impermanent source of euphoria that diminishes with time. With that, while chasing temporary fulfillment, at the end of our “15 minutes of fame,” it is the emotional connection we have with others and ourselves that we fall back on; we might as well invest in our time with others and ourselves.
‘Overgrown,’ a song by James Blake, embodies this message entirely. Released in April of 2013, ‘Overgrown’ is part of a studio album by English singer-songwriter and producer James Blake. In an interview with Variance Magazine, Blake talks about the song being cultivated from a place of contentment in his life, noting its relevance to “how I feel about where I am and where I want to go,” candidly admitting, “If I wasn't happy, I'd drop out at this second.” Unlike many artists in the limelight, Blake has a sense of humbleness as his words reveal a level of genuineness in his craft; his motivators lie in his authentic passion for creating a piece of work as a favour to himself, without the desire for acclamation and affluence. This is further evident when he tells Billboard, “You can’t really go on YouTube hits because people buy them. You can’t really rely on record sales because people don’t buy them. And you don’t get paid by Spotify. I made [this album] for myself.” The contradiction shows genuinity, where he reveals persistence in his work while not being compromised by money. Blake overrides the significance of fame as he excuses the common belief that there is a superiority in being a recognized musician as opposed to pursuing other pathways of success; he stated, “There's this idea of glamour, but I have friends that are just as happy as I am doing other things, following their passions.” He establishes the irrelevance of notoriety and all its benefits when there is mutually existing contentment propelling one's passions.
The song explores the fleeting nature of fame with the mention of time. The soft and light vocals and the eerie visuals in the music video allude to the passing of time and sleepless nights. While he stays awake thinking, everything around him evolves and grows, hence the song's title, ‘Overgrown,’ implying the relentless continuation of time that ages all that comes before it. The video also features Blake as he stands by a window, watching the days turn in a quickened time lapse. He sings about not wanting to be a “star”; he yearns to be something more permanent, like a “stone on the shore.” The juxtaposition of the imagery of a star and stone shows the irony in Blake’s yearning. As a star can be interpreted as a reference to the glamorized stardom one experiences with fame, Blake sees greater value in being a stone, representing a life outside the spotlight, comparatively more drab and ununique, but also more secure in existence as a stone is bound to age with time, while a star is momentary. Blake's aspirations go beyond stardom as he hopes to be unaffected by time. In the song's final seconds, we hear “time passes in a constant state” repeated almost as a final reminder to invest in more meaningful aspects of life to provide gratification.
On a final note, ‘Overgrown’ passes the notion of living with greater intent, not chasing a star-studded life for all its glory, short-sightedly overlooking the possibility of long-term happiness in what can seemingly be, a dull path.
Comments