New Jersey songstress, Raquel Liane, dropped a track last March titled "Circles," which sheds light on why it's hard to 'go out with the old and in with the new.' In essence, Liane reminisces about an old flame. She's 'got this tunnel vision so she can't see anyone else.' The more she's away from him, the more she's urged to rekindle their relationship. Granted, he's a jerk she got addicted to, but she 'keeps on coming back just like a boomerang.' Amid friends saying in unison: "girl leave him," the larger-than-life, optimistic Raquel Liane gives her "x" an "o," putting up a fight for their love, in hopes that he'll do the same. Sometimes, (for all of us), it's hard to come to terms with what was and what is. "Circles" is a beautiful, imperfect journey.
Sonically, "Circles" contrasts with the song's underlying theme. At most, the beat lets loose, drawing from pop and electro-house. Rather than be melancholic or saturated with R&B elements, "Circle" pairs Liane's bubbly demeanor with lush synths, honeyed back vocals, and an upbeat rhythm. Her favorite line to sing was, "you keep me coming back just like a boomerang." Liane says it ultimately brings out personality with her voice. Something about it makes her smile every time. Also, she's been there, so she gets it. Leaning in, you'll hear that Liane's soft, projective register is reminiscent of Mariah Carey as well. Once the song finishes, you'll realize that "Circles," is by far, is an addictive listen. "I wanted there to be drama with a balance of humor in it ["Circles"] as well. I'm a very emotional person, contrary to popular belief, so I think I naturally tend to make sad songs/situations into something I can laugh at, so I prevent myself from taking life too seriously. I'm also just goofy by nature. It's in my blood." she says.
Ironically the visual for "Circles" (directed by Tyler Kubicz) hints at the whole "rekindling flames" spiel. For "Circles," Liane ended up using her childhood best friend's backyard because it was most authentic to her at the time, "I did what I could with what I had, and it ended up turning out extremely well." In 4:15 minutes, "Circles" sees Raquel Liane sitting around the campfire with friends. Although she can't let bygones be bygones, she decides to burn a box filled with pictures of her and her ex. The next scenes show Liane getting glammed up with her friends. As they catch the groove, she sings into her hair-brush mic. Then, Liane finds herself at a bonfire making s'mores with her friends. Before she knows it, Liane bumps into an ex (awkward), which, in turn, encourages her to get a boost from a shot of vodka. Shortly after, the scene transitions to Liane playing beer pong with her peers and vibing out with groovy dance moves. Through a blurry lens, Liane and her ex walk up to each other, wasting no time to kiss.
In the blink of an eye, viewers find out that it was all imagined. Raquel Liane appears with her boo-thang, and the video ends with her ex asking in a salty tone, "That's your boyfriend?"
I feel everything meshed well together. The bonfire is a staple of intimacy and close-knit bonds. It set the tone for relaxation, one that urges people to be their most authentic selves. Behind the scenes, relationships were genuine as they were on-screen. Everyone was all smiles as they stacked Hershey bars and marshmallows onto gram crackers (which, I might add, looked delicious!) After adding some touches, the cast, and Liane made their s' mores, sharing jokes in the process. "Campfires quite literally force you to talk to one another and be close to each other so you can warm up from the cold weather," says Liane, "I think watching the fire and hearing it crackle is relaxing. It was a staple for sure." Liane's technique of making this delicious treat is simple: She puts the chocolate on the graham cracker first. Then, roasts the marshmallow, making sure the marshmallow is burnt on the outside, so the inside is super gooey. Afterward, she smashes them all together! The heat from the marshmallow melts the chocolate just enough for her!
Fun fact: The s' mores scene by the fire was Liane's favorite scene to shoot! "I love the takes, and I had a blast eating and making more s' mores over and over again to get the best take! I laughed a lot with everyone during that scene, but we all just laughed throughout filming anyway." She also adds, "Everyone who is part of the cast and crew has such amazing souls. They're super sweet, and they're GOOFY, which is precisely my wavelength. I was grateful they were a group of people I could be extremely comfortable and unapologetically myself around them. Also, people that I am thankful to call my friends."
On the whole, "Circles" visual came with a message! "The message here is whatever you let your mind obsess over is what you're going to attract." Liane says, "The last thing I wanted to happen was to be at a party with my current boyfriend and have my ex that I could not stop thinking about show up there. But subconsciously, we will put ourselves into situations that we obsess over so we can come to terms with them. Even if at the moment it's drama."
For those who are making their first music video, Liane suggests planning (because you never know what could happen). "Make sure you get everyone's schedule, and you're always keeping in contact and account for alternate filming dates just in case things don't go as planned! Most importantly, have fun. Enjoy the ride. It's going to be difficult, and you may have extremely high expectations that you're afraid of meeting, but if you do it from a source of love, you'll ALWAYS succeed."
Check out Raquel Liane's visual for "Circles" below:
By: Natalee Gilbert
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