“Why” by Sabrina Carpenter
The single “Why” was released on July 7th, 2017 by 18 year old Sabrina Carpenter. The rising star gained traction on her Disney channel show which began airing in 2014, called Girl Meets World. Simultaneously, she began building her music career at a young age- releasing two albums titled Eyes Wide Open and Evolution. On July 19th, two weeks after her song “Why” was released, the music video was released. The song explores the concept of opposites attracting. In the music video, two lovers explore New York City, as Sabrina takes photos of her surroundings. The cinematography of the music video primarily focuses on changes in light; the angles in the video constantly switch from light colors to bright and dark shades. Sabrina takes photos of her lover and pins them up in her studio. The two are meant to juxtapose each other in every way- even through their physical appearances. Sabrina’s light, blond hair and light eyes are complimented with her white attire while her partner’s dark features match effortlessly with his dark fit and denim jeans. The music video ends paralleling the way it began; the two are in speaking in a diner, and the video ends as Sabrina gets up and leaves the restaurant, without a clear indication of the fate between the lovers. In an interview with Billboard, Carpenter said that the song emerged naturally. The nature of the song’s creation is similar to the spontaneity of New York City.
We started with the first line of the song — ‘You like New York City in the daytime; I like New York City in the night time’ — and from there, the song kind of wrote itself. It’s basically [about] these differences that we all have, that keep us different from one another but at the same time glue us together. … I like to say it’s very conversational, which some of my other songs haven’t been before.
The song opens with the line:
“You like New York City in the daytime, I like New York City in the nighttime”
I was immediately drawn to the introduction of the song because even though the words seemed to describe two opposites who are strangely attracted to one another, the lyrics imply to much more about the city. They represent the microcosm of New York City- a plethora of diverse interests and tastes which blend together seamlessly. Although the different cultures, ideas, and values in New York City have the potential to tear the city apart, they ultimately contribute to making it the special, lively place we all know and love. As well, these lyrics also indicate that New York City is alive during the day and night alike. The night owl may relish in exploring the moonlit city with all the gleaming lights, whereas the early bird may go on an early run through battery park and take a stop at a nearby café for brunch. The possibilities are endless in Manhattan- where ther is a place for everyone to do nearly anything.
The song continues:
“You can call it fire and ice, but we work so well and we don’t even know why”
As the song title indicates, the single focuses on the theme of ‘why’ people are drawn to each other and why certain events may occur. The two lovers in the music video are so different that they cannot explain how their relationship works so well. Similarly, many chance events occur in Manhattan with little to no explanation, as we learned through “Mugging” and “Physics”. The song ends with no definitive answer or explanation to these events, as Sabrina leaves the diner without a clear response to her lover- leaving the audience in suspense. As such, many aspects of the city are unexplainable, however sometimes, we do not need to know why they exist the way they do and just enjoy it. Answers for all of the ‘why’ questions we have in New York City are not possible, but we have to learn to accept this.
December 19, 2017 at 4:25 am
I’d never heard this song or seen the music video before this class, but I find the lyrics intriguing because one line, in particular, addresses a contrast that I’ve pondered for many years: the difference between New York City at day and during the nighttime. As long as I can remember, I’ve been asking myself if New York City is more beautiful in daytime or at nighttime, and I’ve yet to come to a conclusion. Each time I think I’ve made my choice, I’ll step into sunny Central Park or a lit-up nighttime Fashion District and realize once again that I doubt I’d love New York City as much as I do without being able to experience both of its states.
I think this video is interesting because it highlights many opposing images and provides many examples of contrast: the difference in physical appearance between the blonde girl and the brunette boy, the brightly lit apartment and what appears to be a moody club, and a colourful video featuring strings of hung-up black and white polaroids. While the song itself doesn’t delve into the many contrasting images New York City houses, such as the juxtaposition of extreme wealth and extreme poverty, I think it invites us to see what other examples of complements we can find in our city.