On December 6, 2019, Harry Styles singer and songwriter released a song titled, “Adore You.” The lyrics speak of how we are born in the world with our traits and become the products of the society we live in. It also narrates how one gets lonely in the process and needs a relationship to make one’s life beautiful. The video of the song directed by Dave Meyers fantastically brought out this aspect. After a year, the song remains to be watched, listened and loved.
The relatable story told in the video of the song is about the fictitious island of Eroda. Where due to varied untoward situations, a smile on the faces of people was long not seen. Even after the birth of the peculiar character nothing seems to have changed. Atleast for the main character when he attempts to drown himself into the ocean, he accidentally notices a gold-dappled fish. Whose life perhaps is similar to his. He later takes care of the fish and nurtures it but when it grows larger, he doesn’t know what to do with it, therefore decides to drop it back in the ocean. His inability to do it alone leads others around him to render their helping hand. The turning point arrives at that scene, changing everything for him and the people around. They start smiling.
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Even we are living on the island of Eroda at times. We do not like to wear a smiling face. We are engrossed in our work. Relationships or friendships are getting tougher for us to handle. And perhaps because of this, our world is growing darker and darker. “He had lost his smile and without it, the world grew darker.” Smile is important as it is contagious. In a world of violence, blame game, and inequalities, there needs a smiling face to give hope.
The protagonist in the video tried to avoid the fish that was jumping out of the ocean as it was feeling lonely in the ocean. But when he realizes that the fish is undergoing the same as him. He is able to reach out to the fish. Reach out with his companionship. Only through empathy will I feel for the other. I will realize that there are people around me who suffer and are in pain. And that at some point even I may need care and love.
It is not just about care and love, we need people around us to listen and understand us. We need people to react to us. The very fact that we are virtually active on social media platforms means that we are open for attention. And that we need people to react and interact with us.
“Loneliness is an ocean full of travellers trying to find their place in the world. But without friendship, we are all lost and left with no hope, no home, no harbour.” These words in the video reflect our society, which is getting more and more individualistic. We are concerned about our activities. Although that saves us from interference in other’s business, it should not stop us from extending our assistance to those in need.
There are old aged parents and grandparents, orphan children, widows, single parents who need us to be their listening ear. Who needs us to share their burden. The Advent season must coax us to show a gesture of love to the people around us. Like the protagonist in the video whose perspectives changed as soon as he had the fish as his companion. He became considerate and loving to the fish. So, we too ought to be considerate about the world around us, starting from the environment that we need to take care of. The people who do not have anyone to take care of them, and those lost. The voiceless and those suppressed.
Our attitude should be, “I’d walk through fire for you,” like the lyrics in the song. It is strange to be a leader for something that doesn’t concern me. But we know that in the long run the happenings around us are all related to us. Directly or indirectly they affect our relationship with one another.
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Relationships cannot be built if either of us does not make any effort to show concern and love. When one expresses concern it must be reciprocated. The video even after a year still resonates with us and it surely will in the days to come. As we are beings who want to relate. And relationships are complex not as simple as it sounds. Everyday is a struggle, but that struggle can be fought by making an attempt to understand the other. As self-help writer Edmund Mbiaka says, “Mutual understanding is the main backbone of every happy relationship.” The fact about making friends is that you can make them anytime, anywhere, and anyhow. But to be friends life-long, that is the effort you put in everyday. I call it the expression of love. The moment you fail to express your love towards the other your friendship is no more existent. It grows fragile and sure to break in the immediate future.
Coronavirus might have pushed us in the dark but it is friendship and our relationships that have kept us this far. May the song continue to inspire us to stay connected and stay united embracing every challenge we face. Because when we are together we can dispel any amount of darkness that will come our way.
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