BY BRE CURA
PHOTO COURTESY OF AIMEE DEBEER
We are all searching for answers, to know more about who we are, and to find solutions for problems we cannot remedy on our own . When presented with quick and easy ways to become someone, we start to lose pieces of ourselves. Aimee deBeer’s new single, “Billboards”, takes a deep look at the insecurities and doubts that humankind is left with in our current culture. Upon first viewing the music video paired with Aimee deBeer’s poetic tune, immediately the viewer is drawn in by the beautifully orchestrated videography and editing technique. With the first verse echoing the solemn phrase, “Everything is beautiful, and no one feels the pain,” deBeer walks in solitude down an empty highway, as rolling hills provide the backdrop for her dreamy environment. Pictured around her, almost interrupting the serenity of her world, are towering billboards, reading things like “skinny me” and “you don't need questions when we’ve got all the answers”. Alluding to the underlying message surely to come in the following verses, these slogans portray the values society deems important enough to plaster on the billboards we see. Painting a picture of what our culture convinces us of, that we should care about the method of a temporary solution, so long as it makes us feel better in the moment. A powerful chorus is heard as more and more billboards appear throughout the scenery. A certain mantra throughout the song, listeners are again presented with the powerful line, “Everything is beautiful, and no one feels the pain”. Written on some of the billboards are advertisements for pet clonings, and other ways to escape the harsh realities we all must face (such as the death of a pet, human interaction, and basic necessity). The line, “Got a problem, go get stoned. Prescription overload. Just numb all the devils that haunt me,” reflects the idea that in today's world, so many people escape their emotional and physical needs by drowning themselves in remedies provided by people only looking for a monetary gain, and whose intentions might not always be pure. While the video itself seems to be based in one location, it is all that is needed to portray the powerful implication within the song. deBeer has done a fantastic job of summarizing a monumental message in a way easily understood by anyone who might listen to the track, or watch the music video. The end of the video reveals a spaceship rising above the hills, and Aimee flashes off the screen, leaving the end of the story up for some interpretation. “Billboards” is a great reminder to not let yourself be defined by what the world insists you should be, and to focus on values you truly believe in.