Grace VanderWaal has just released her latest track, Call It What You Want, and it’s a powerful exploration of complex emotions. The song tells the story of two people caught in a complicated relationship, trying to navigate their feelings while avoiding the truth.
Grace describes the song as “a romanticized justification in pursuit of avoiding the truth at all cost—‘this isn’t real’… There’s also a sense of desperation, this is this precious thing that I must control and hide, we binge our love at night.” The lyrics reflect this, with lines like “Just as long as I’m your favorite stranger, I’ll play along,” and “You can call it whatever you want,” capturing the tension and hidden connections between the characters.
The music video perfectly mirrors the song’s themes, visually portraying the emotional tug-of-war and the quiet desperation that comes with trying to keep something so precious hidden. It’s a hauntingly relatable exploration of love and denial.
