A great poet once wrote, “I don’t care if Monday’s blue / Tuesday’s grey and Wednesday too / Thursday, I’ don’t care about you / It’s Friday. I’m in love.” Unfortunately for Emily Vu, her romance doesn’t make it that far. In “Weekend,” the new song from the TikTok sensation and YouTube musical maestro, sees her deal with the shock of a love affair coming to an end as soon as it started. In the spark of this young romance, “days were getting better by the second,” but just as Emily’s “feelings start to deepen,” her paramour decided to bail and was “gone by the weekend.”
With a low-key production that allows Emily’s sharp lyrics enough room to breathe, “Weekend” is a perfect snapshot of disappointment. It’s not over-sentimental, or maudlin, or extra. With surgical precision, Emily’s lyrics display all killer, no filler, showcasing the songwriting prowess that has earned her millions of fans. She would be called “One To Watch” if she didn’t already have 1.4 million followers on TikTok (and nearly 400k on Instagram.) As to what inspired such a charming slice of pop, Emily says you don’t have to look too deeply into the lyrics to find the message.
“My producer friend SZNS and I were in a session,” she tells HollywoodLife, “and going through YouTube beats for inspiration, and we came across a really pretty guitar beat and decided to recreate it. At the time, I was going through a little heartbreak myself, so writing the lyrics was fairly easy.”
That ease must have transferred over to the music video, which sees Emily falling in (and out) of love with herself. As one of the DIY videos released during this time of love and coronavirus, “Weekend” is rather brilliant, capturing all the moods that come with a crush leaves you crushed. The nostalgia at happier days. The moments feeling isolated in your feelings. Those times when you just want to eat a whole cake by yourself, using nothing but your hands. All the typical feelings of heartbreak.
There’s nothing typical about Emily. Born and raised in Garden Grove, California, the young star is a trained guitarist and pianist (which would explain why her music sounds expertly crafted.) Her first original single, “WHAT HAPPENED, HAPPENED,” debuted in October 2019 and quickly racked up over a million streams. She’s also made notable appearances in LAUV’s “Modern Loneliness” video, appeared on NBA IG Live’s Baseline Live Performances, and was all over LIVE X LIVE, FUSE.TV and Dash Radio.
“I love music because it’s my go-to escape from the real world,” says Emily, a statement that seems more powerful than ever. “I want to give others that same emotional connection and escape in what they are going through, and they are not alone in this crazy world.”
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“Weekend” Is Out