Kelsie Kimberlin is an artist who cares strongly about the world around her. She utilizes her music to speak about what’s important, from her early days working on peace projects to her current work aiding those in need. In her latest titled “Clumsy Girl,” she moves into a dark, honest style that feels very modern but also has a touch of a vintage, gritty vibe. This song is a calm look at how we feel inside when the outer world is too noisy or too fast.
The music begins with a steady beat, which feels like time is moving slowly.It is constant, giving us the sensation of gravity, and delicate, light noises float above it. These layers create an atmosphere that feels beautiful but somewhat constricted, as though you are in a little room trying to find your balance. The deep sounds give a powerful background and the lighter parts remind us of the huge ambitions that we often have when we are young.
Kelsie Kimberlin has a voice that is intimate and personal. She begins quietly, as if she is disclosing a secret that only she is privy to. As the song continues her voice gets stronger and more confident. The additional vocal layers in the background come off as the numerous thoughts we have in our heads, sometimes they are voices of doubt, other times merely echoes of what society expects of us.
The theme of this song is that sometimes we try to act like someone else to fit in. In our everyday lives, we all dress in different ways or act in a certain manner to experience a sense of belonging. It shows how exhausting it is to always perform for others. We tend to present to the public a bright, colorful picture of ourselves, while keeping the messy or confused elements of our real existence secret.
This feeling of not belonging is frequently experienced throughout the process of growing up, shifting from one stage of life to the other. This isn’t about being clumsy with our bodies, it’s about the mental strain of cramming our enormous, messy sentiments into the tiny boxes other people have made for us. We live in a period where everything looks perfect on the surface and this song shows how terrible it is to prioritize a fake appearance over a real soul.
On our daily excursions we often cover up our wounded hearts or say little lies to make us look more experienced than we really are. We look for others to make us feel good enough because we feel empty inside. This song is a reminder that it’s okay to be confused and to fumble, because it only means we’re growing into something bigger. It requires us to quit doing and start being honest with ourselves.
The finale is the strongest part of the message, telling us to find our own strength. It says we feel out of place because we are really too huge for the little spaces we are trying to live in. Instead of attempting to fit into a community that does not comprehend us, we are asked to be entire in ourselves. It’s a great reminder that our troubles are simply the beginning of a brand new better chapter.
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