“It’s been a hell of a year.”

This song may have been released a year ago, but Nightbirde’s opening line feels just as true today as it did then.

I heard it for the first time yesterday, and like “It’s Okay,” which she famously performed on “America’s Got Talent,” her lyrics are both powerful and relatable.

She continues with, “But no, I don’t wanna talk about it.” A statement that might be even more relevant now than when she wrote it—as we’re seeing this reaction from society with people disengaging from the news surrounding world events, climate change, and the pandemic.

We have also no doubt experienced this personally—when we didn’t want to share what was troubling us, or our true thoughts and feelings with another person in that moment. Sometimes we simply want to ignore, forget, or push something down inside us until a later opportunity to address those emotions.

I love how she reminds us that life will always present us with a mixture of the good and the trying, the troubling and the pleasurable. That’s life. It’s for us to experience everything—the highs and the lows.

New Year’s Eve is seen as an opportunity to say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new. People often hold out hope that harder times will come to an end with this new beginning, but we all know that each day presents us with this opportunity—December 31 actually isn’t any different. It’s been romanticised for over a century though.

With its popularity spreading globally as Europeans travelled and settled around the world, the tradition of kissing a loved one at the stroke of midnight became increasingly desired—to the point that now, singletons may choose to cuff for the winter season, simply to have someone to share the holidays with.

As a young adult, there was always a sense of longing to have someone to kiss at midnight, but what I learnt as I grew up was that “someone” wasn’t actually what I wanted. It wasn’t special unless it was the right person whom I was kissing. I think this is why her chorus really struck me:

“Just wanna kiss someone who loves me on New Year’s Eve. Just wanna dance in the dark with someone who sees me.”

We all deserve to find love with someone who truly sees us—who understands what makes us who we are and loves us unconditionally. That is what makes our kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve magical.

When we haven’t yet found a love to share the moment with, we can surround ourselves with those we care about—and celebrate together the feelings of hope and opportunity as we enter the new year.

In Nighbirde’s words:

“I hope you get the best of everything—just the best.”

~