Nov 04, 2022

By Caleb Campbell

London-based singer/songwriter Lucy McWilliams has been steadily sharing new singles since she debuted in 2020, cultivating a shimmering pop magnetism alongside lyricism that is both sweet and confessional. Fans last heard from her this year with her newest singles, “Break My Own Heart” and this month’s “Bumblebees and Blue Skies,” and today she is back with an accompanying video for the latter track, premiering with Under the Radar.

“Bumblebees and Blue Skies” is one of those songs that plays almost like it belongs in another era, but feels nonetheless timeless. McWilliams breathy vocals initially float above some elegant keys and jazzy basslines, with McWilliams fitting effortlessly into the mold of classic songstresses like Nina Simone. In the latter half though, the track takes on an expansive new presence, with psychedelic guitars and swelling strings lifting the track skyward. Meanwhile, McWilliams finds comfort from her troubles in the track’s floating fantasy world一“We both understand / Its out of our hands / So come and hide / Bumblebees and blue skies.”

She says of the video, “What I love about this video is that when the director, Emma heard the song, her idea of what she felt it meant was not the initial idea behind the track. She saw this push and pull between two people, surrounded by darkness but once you leave you feel you want it back. This brought the song into a different light and meaning for myself and I saw something in the track I didn’t even realise The sense of going back to something even when you know it’s not good for you but you can’t help it. That pull towards something you should be letting go of.”

Check out the song and video below, out everywhere now.