BY GRACE SERRAMBANA
PHOTO BY JAMES ADAMS
The isolated feeling of being lonely is unfortunately common within most individuals. One exceptional example happens to be a song written by a singer/songwriter from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, Cole Redding, titled “Smile and Say Hello.” Unlike the optimistic appellation, the song and music video gives a rare sombre quality needed to contrast most music playlists nowadays.
The use of gentle instruments work together to blend in a “deep,” despairing vibe, and along with the black and white pallet carried throughout the music video, Cole Redding managed to dig into a message that expresses real life experiences - causing the audience to question true or false. Both the song and music video dabbles into constantly boarding ourselves up and pretending as if everything is okay shown by lyrics such as “my smile’s the mask I wear to make them think that I don’t care.”
Carrying the song’s message is the video, where Cole Redding is beautifully and physically portraying “covering up” his emotions to deceiving others into believing he is content. He did a perfect job forming the song and music video into a relatable story worth experiencing.
Although the video uses stereotypical “lonely” places such as a train station or a bus stop, these stereotypes still allow the viewer to, more likely, empathize with that portrayed feeling of loneliness.
Even if “Smile and Say Hello” leaves a sad aftertaste of personal experiences, the meaningful message’s complexity will spark a new appreciation for life’s inevitable moments.