PREMIERE | Paulina Vo, "Sweetie"
Through the soft focus lens with Paulina Vo; photographed by Lissy Elle.
Out of the turbulent throes of 2020 saw a rainbow waterfall deluge of DIY releases showcasing solo artists working to channel the unfathomable, the unprecedented and ineffable in the art of song. From the collective cacophony of harmonic shouts, hums, whispers and beats saw the dawning of breakout Brooklyn upstart Paulina Vo with the confident and confrontational “Shades Down” and the release of the cool r&b curiosity Call You After EP. Elaborating further into deeper tiers of sonic dimensions, aesthetic development and diamond-toned production; the Vietnamese American artist debuts a candygram ballad for distanced starry-eyed lovers just in time for Valentine’s Day. A ballad dedicated to the artist’s own true love; Paulina accentuates the attachments that are greater than geography underscored by subdued electro pop blends of sentimental styles for lonely hearts, helplessly and haplessly in love and in the big city [and/or in a town v. country dynamic].
“Sweetie” illustrates the magnitude of a love greater than the sum of all the city lights shining forth from a metropolitan grid. Paulina Vo provides the listening audience with a privy lullaby to her boo, sung like a love letter adapted into inspired late night lyrical texts. The song seeks to personify the power of those mystical/psychic forces that bring us closer to those that we love and can exist between the longest and shortest of distances. Paulina charts those expanses and measures of amour, how a shared affectionate bond can further ignite our inner and outer glow of happiness and how the illuminating power of that exclusive bond also impacts our partner. The cascading keys in “Sweetie” neatly bubble and flutter like an evening meditational exercise, sending up a romantic flock of turtle doves in melodic bars about a timeless relationship on lock. “Sweetie” is a tribute to the ancient wisdom that love is something greater than the material const time and place, or according to Paulina Vo: It don’t matter really where we are, I got you and I’m feeling fine…
Paulina introduced us to “Sweetie” with the following foreword:
I wrote "Sweetie" when I was on a trip away from my boo. No fronts, I just missed him <3 Despite everything, somehow we've stuck it out, even through 2020! This is my feel good love song that I hope everyone can sing out loud and dance to.
Also watch the animated visuals from Amanda Kim, Andy Regos, Michelle Han with a storyline courtesy of the artist Paulina Vo. Behold as “Sweetie” becomes an enchanted fairytale on the tenets and might of true love.
Pop star Paulina Vo; photographed by Lissy Elle.
Paulina also provided us with the following generous reflections on the inspirations behind “Sweetie”:
I was away on a trip in the middle of nowhere Montana, got off a nightly FaceTime with my partner out in Brooklyn and started writing a little beat in Garageband on my iPad when I was thinking about home. I remember sitting on my hotel room bed and thinking about how much I missed him after we hung up (so cheesy). The story of how we met, and everything that fell together in between then and now, still feels a little unbelievable! We both had tough upbringings and despite that, despite thinking we wouldn't even find love to begin with, we've worked through so much and have an honestly dope relationship.
Production-wise, "Sweetie" took longer to produce than it did to write. It was definitely one of those instances of, the song was written in the time it took to sing it. After spending time back and forth on many, many versions, I ended up working with a co-producer, Dragi Ivanov, who helped me take it past the finish line. It was an awesome collaboration process and he added all the finishing touches that I love, like the wavy synths and deeper 808s. The song also features live drums and I love the energy that brings! It's amazing how "Sweetie" evolved as much as it did and I'm so happy to finally release it!
Cover art for “Sweetie” Paulina Vo; photographed by Lissy Elle.