Jeremy Zucker’s ‘love is not dying’ is the epitome of expressing feelings through art

Jeremy Zucker

love is not dying

Universal Records · April 17, 2020

Jeremy Zucker’s newest album love is not dying shows his ability to be vulnerable with his fans in the most candid way possible. Zucker addresses his songs directly, whether it be a former lover or friends he no longer speaks to. Like his previous two albums, this album encapsulates honesty, raw emotion, and as his title implies, the power of love and its possession.

“Still” introduces the album. In the forty seconds that make up the song, the listener hears the chirping of birds, a mellow instrumental, and voices saying, “Everyone be really quiet…don’t turn the radio on, we’re doing ASMR, one second.” Although this may seem confusing to the listener, the calm and chaotic moments merged together represent the beauty of the unknown, then serving as an effortless gateway into the first official track, “we’re fucked, it’s fine.”

The gentle plucking of acoustic strings and a soft whistle immediately sets the mood for the song. In the outro, he references back to the title: “So, tell me I’m fucked/or tell me I’m fine/am I shit out of luck? Keep wastin’ my time/fuck it,” driving the message of the rest of the album: not every moment will be perfect, but each moment should be cherished.

“Somebody loves you,” is next. The song sounds cheery despite its somber meaning. In this track, Zucker wistfully holds onto the idea that things can work between him and a girl, which he refers to in the pre-chorus–“But oh, what a dream, if we could be subtle lovers in the suburbs/and all I can see/are my philosophies going under.” He eventually admits that whatever happens in the end will be okay, solidifying positivity in the situation.

One of the best songs in the album is “orchid.” Zucker stresses his love for somebody and how beautiful he finds them, yet their relationship is straying and he doesn’t know what to do. The track is soothing with a stillness that captures Zucker’s voice. The distorted instrumental digresses from his usual style, but it pays off.

“Comethru,” the opening track from Jeremy Zucker’s EP summer from 2018, is featured at the end of the album. It immediately grabs the listener’s attention with a lighthearted beat and snapping as Zucker describes his transition into a new lifestyle. “I’m trying to realize/It’s alright to not be fine on your own,” he sings in the pre-chorus, summarizing his relationship with the fame his music brought him.

Love is not dying demonstrates Zucker’s skillful way of making his listeners understand how he feels, even when intense and complicated. Not every track is memorable, but the ones that stand out do wonders.