It hurts, doesn’t it? Feeling like an outcast because of the way that you look. Being forced to feel like you are not good enough. So you change, you carve and sculpt yourself into the ‘perfect’ body type because that’s what is only accepted by society. Why do we do it? It’s a trend is it not? Well… the rising rock band ROOTED are ready to rebel against the stereotypes by releasing their new single Your Definition and you should not hesitate to give it a listen.
There may only be three of them but they sure know how to send a loud message. I was grabbed instantly by the looming bassline (played by ) and the tease of the drum cymbals (played by Joe Horton-Hackett). It sucked me in bar by bar and then I was greeted by an explosion of the epic sound of rock and rebellion. You can’t help but feel like you want to jump around and be engulfed by the music.
The powerhouse vocals of Lily Hartley, bare symmetry to the legends Lady Gaga and Blondie and are truly captivating. Matching this with the epic talents and sounds of both Ethan Noble’s awesome grungy guitar skills and Joe Horton-Hackett’s rocky and rhythmically complex drums, creates an unstoppable dynamic, making it impossible to resist their sound.
Lyrically. The message expressed is hauntingly relatable to modern society’s perfect body image. The leading line in the chorus “Carve me up, dissect me into something, that might fit your definition” truly describes (in a very visual and gruesome way), the reality in the lack of control people have over their appearances and how it is deemed normal to change the way we look to fit and feel appreciated in a corrupt world of unrealistic beauty standards. The middle 8/ bridge of the song is stripped back and pulls the listener in by reintroducing the intro bassline. Followed by the repeating lyrics “Butcher me with empty smiles”, which not only describe the fake reality in which we live by saying that people’s smiles are empty but they are also sung with a feeling of anger and hurt. These emotions grow more as this section of the song progresses – after starting intimately to then making me feel interrogated, to ending in a riot which continues throughout to the final chorus.
This song is powerful and emotive. A statement to the world, that change needs to happen. We need to stop carving and dissecting ourselves and feel seen and loved in a perfect reality, which does not exist. I love this song and I know you will too. Give it a listen and you no doubt will feel empowered.
