Movin’ – Lea Kay – Single review

In a song that upon the first listen was seemingly written just for a pandemic, Lea Kay takes us through the eye of the storm with her provocative new single Movin’. 

Anyone who has been through the ringer, whether it’s through a personal tragedy or a devastating day at work, can respect this song’s resonating power. The ambiguity of the music is what makes it a truly accessible record. Movin’ deliberately shifts away from the dreary pining after lost love and can be applied to any situation, although it seems especially poignant during this time of stillness and uncertainty more than most. 

The song leads us in with a funereal soundscape of synthesized minor notes and halting drumbeats, as if the song itself isn’t sure it should proceed with its grim subject material. When Kay’s voice enters with a mesmerising echo, all doubt is gone as she takes us through our self-doubt and out to the other side. She reassures us that we are only human:  

Sometimes you wonder how much you mean if at all/ 

Wasting time giving more than enough 

Any key worker during COVID will feel a connection just to these words alone. Recent studies have shown that key workers are struggling with anxiety and sleeplessness more than ever before. Kay seems aware of this, asking: 

How strong is your mind/ 

To guide you through the stormy ride  

As if in answer, one key worker explained that “how a lot of doctors and nurses cope is- you just get on with your day”. Our inner strength keeps us going, and Kay hails this. 

Even when we are overwhelmed and our mind has been through the hell, she reminds us of the importance to just keep movin’. As a doctor faced with hundreds of cases of the sick, what can you do? Just keep moving. As a relative faced with endless grief, what can you do? Just keep moving. As a carer with constant stress and upset, what can you do? Just keep moving.  

Kay doesn’t beat around the bush: we don’t know when this pandemic will come to an end, to the point that our hearts bleed just from the frustration. She reminds us that despite the great strides we have made, there are some things we can’t solve… sometimes you feel like you’re losing, but just keep moving.  

Kay cannot provide us with the answer to our problems, but as long as we stand firm and keep moving, all good things to those who wait.  

 

Jennifer Walne

Insta: @jennniferwalnne

Image: LEA 

Source: The mental health toll on key workers during the COVID pandemic (cosmopolitan.com)