Grapevine (Weyes Blood song) explained

Grapevine
Type:single
Artist:Weyes Blood
Album:And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Genre:Folk rock
Length:5:25
Label:Sub Pop
Producer:
Prev Title:It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:God Turn Me into a Flower
Next Year:2022

"Grapevine" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Weyes Blood, released on October 11, 2022, as the third single from her fifth studio album, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (2022). It was written and produced by the artist along with Jonathan Rado. A folk rock track, its arrangement surrounds her voice with acoustic guitars and synthesizers. A music video was released on October 28, 2022. "Grapevine" was included in the set list of her In Holy Flux Tour.

The song received positive reviews from music critics and became her first charting single, on the U.S. Adult Alternative Airplay record chart published by Billboard.

Composition

"Grapevine" has been described as a lush, swirling folk rock song.[1] Produced and recorded at the EastWest Studios in Hollywood, and written by the singer, it is a song set along the titular stretch of Southern California's Interstate 5.[2] The song studies "the remains of a dead relationship",[3] and is about breaking up with a "narcissistic" musician she'd been in love with during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] It contains a soft acoustic guitar and measured drums, while having a mix of strings and synthesizers, a tolling bell and somber bass lines.[5]

In a statement about the song, the singer said: "Technology is harvesting our attention away from each other. We all have a 'Grapevine' entwined around our past with unresolved wounds and pain. Being in love doesn't necessarily mean being together. Why else do so many love songs yearn for a connection?"[6] [7]

Critical reception

While giving the song 3.5 stars out of 5, Far Out reviewer Tom Taylor described the song as "sumptuous", and wrote: "It might not be as instantly ensnaring as the debut single from the new record, but it certainly shows off the skills of one of the finest singers around".[8] "Grapevine" was described by Rolling Stone as a "sprawling song" with an "epic and emotional adventure".[9] NME described it as "epic".[10] Weyes Blood's "warm, pure alto" voice on the track was compared to the vocals from Karen Carpenter.

Music video

A nautical-themed music video for the song, directed by Charlotte Ercoli, was released on October 28, 2022.[11] In the video, the backdrop is a "seasonally spooky, deserted road", where the artist's car has broken down and "wanders the increasingly surreal landscape".

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Breihan . Tom . Weyes Blood – "Grapevine" . Stereogum . March 3, 2024 . October 11, 2022.
  2. Web site: Cohen . Jonathan . Weyes Blood Mulls Love on Interstate 5 on New Song 'Grapevine' . Spin . March 3, 2024 . October 11, 2022.
  3. Web site: Helfand . Raphael . Weyes Blood shares ghostly "Grapevine" video . The Fader . March 3, 2024 . October 28, 2022.
  4. Web site: Talbot . Margaret . Weyes Blood Gives Soft Rock an Apocalyptic Edge . New Yorker . March 3, 2024 . October 31, 2022.
  5. Web site: Sudol . Claire . Weyes Blood is an emotional cowboy on new single 'Grapevine' . Michigan Daily . March 3, 2024 . October 25, 2022.
  6. Web site: Ackroyd . Stephen . Weyes Blood has shared her latest single, 'Grapevine' . Dork . March 3, 2024 . October 11, 2022.
  7. Web site: Kenneally . Cerys . Weyes Blood unveils new song "Grapevine" . The Line of Best Fit . March 3, 2024 . October 11, 2022.
  8. Web site: Taylor . Tom . Weyes Blood releases sumptuous new single 'Grapevine' . Far Out . March 3, 2024 . October 11, 2022.
  9. Blistein . Jon . Weyes Blood Shares Poignant New California Odyssey 'Grapevine' . Rolling Stone . March 3, 2024 . October 11, 2022.
  10. Web site: Conway-Flood . Katie . Listen to Weyes Blood's new epic road song, 'Grapevine' . NME . March 2, 2024 . October 12, 2022.
  11. Web site: Bloom . Madison . Weyes Blood Shares New Video for "Grapevine": Watch . Pitchfork . March 3, 2024 . October 28, 2022.