It might sound a bit ironic for a track titled “sadness” to be so charming and full of hope, but the melancholic debut from German indie-pop artist Lip Lift is actually quite encouraging.
The song describes the emotion from an existential lens—offering perspective that only comes from a place of maturity, and the understanding that the pain is temporary and that change is all just a part of life.
“Sadness comes and sadness goes / Ocean ebbs and oceans flow / Flowers bloom before they die / All things change, but change is kind.”
In many ways, the song is also about patience, resilience, and accepting things beyond our control. It’s a reminder that the universe doesn’t slow down for anyone. To take things as they come. To find comfort in the fact that the only constant in life is change.
Marie Demnig’s soft, angelic crooning adds an ethereal element to the song, characterizing the whole dream-pop aesthetic.
Her sweet, yet haunting voice echoes like Julee Cruise against a silken backdrop of warm and fuzzy instrumentals.
It’s tricky to differentiate between dream pop and shoegaze—especially today. The influence of bands like Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine is far-reaching.
Lip Lift leans a bit more towards the modern side of the scale—sounding more akin to Beach House than Lush or Dinosaur Jr.
“Sadness” was written and produced by Markus Ganter with drummer Marcel Römer, who has notably worked together in the past on projects for Drangsal and Alli Neumann.
Written by Daniel Offner
