What’s in a Name?: “Sunflower”
Sunflowers — symbols of light, power, adoration, and loyalty — have taken center stage in music as of late, but not all “Sunflower” songs are created equal.
Written by Myah Taylor
Photos courtesy of NME, Soundcloud, and W Magazine
In the past three years, four well-known artists made “Sunflowers” their musical muses, but some of these floral-inspired tracks shine more than others.
Find out which “Sunflower” song impresses the most in this ranking from least good to best:
4. Vampire Weekend (feat. Steve Lacy)
On a track where Steve Lacy’s proggy, scaling guitar takes the spotlight, other components of Vampire Weekend’s “Sunflower” fall flat. While Ezra Koenig’s crooning vocals initially grab the listener in the opening verses, the song loses its way as it descends into an obnoxious mix of sounds, particularly the “do be do be deep’s” that weave throughout. Speaking of the nonsense vocalizations, they take up a large percentage of the track, which is a shame considering the song’s intelligible lyrics tie into the compelling religious themes and metaphors from Vampire Weekend’s last LP, Father of the Bride (“No power can compel me / Back into the daylight / Let that evil wait”) . Unfortunately for the Ivy-League indie rockers, this “Sunflower” doesn’t stand quite as tall as the others.
3. Harry Styles
While Styles’ “Sunflower” rendition is stylistically similar to Vampire Weekend’s version, it’s more enjoyable. Lyrically, it’s stronger, as Styles reminisces about the good parts of a failed relationship (“Sunflowers just died / keep it sweet in your memory”). The repeating “sunflower” refrain is a thing of beauty — the perfect transition into Styles’ dreamy aside about kissing his former lover “in the kitchen like it’s a dance floor” before he moves into the chorus. However, the track is not without flaws. Although this “Sunflower’s” joyous pop sensibilities are its strong suit, some of these very sounds are its Achilles heel. Styles relies too heavily on the tropical house beat, a sound several pop artists have utilized in their music over the last few years. The weakest point of the song — the birdlike “woo-woo’s” and “doo’s” in the outro— is what really prevents it from being higher on this list. While Styles’ shouts contribute to his “Sunflower’s” eccentric soundscape, they are grating and out of place on an otherwise well-meaning song.
2. Rex Orange County
The first minute of Rex Orange County’s “Sunflower” isn’t very promising. As Rex sings over whining guitars, his voice taking on an old, gravely texture, the track is stale. But the sun comes shining down after this dreary interlude as soon as he sings the fitting words “I don’t wanna see you cry.” The symphony of lively trumpets and other jazz instruments beneath Rex’s dark confessional lyrics create the perfect juxtaposition between despair and hope. Considering Rex’s progression through the song from his initial sadness to his cheerful optimism which enables him to be a “sunflower (that) still grows at night,” his moody intro holds symbolic weight and is almost excusable. Not so much, though, that it takes the title of the best “Sunflower” song in recent memory.
1. Post Malone & Swae Lee
It isn’t hard to love Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” — it’s joy personified. No, the lyrics don’t always make much sense, especially Swae Lee’sverses, but the positive feelings behind this dream pop/hip hop crossover are so strong that they supersede the song’s lack of profundity. From a production standpoint, the beat pulsing throughout Post and Swae’s “Sunflower” is infectious. And despite both artists’ use of autotune, the track is ironically soulful. The voice modulation makes the song stronger, as if it’s just another instrument adding to its sunny disposition. Fittingly, this track was used in the critically acclaimed animated film “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse” when Miles, the main character, sings it as he gets ready for school. Similar to most people, he mumbles the words, but he still belts the song. Post and Swae’s “Sunflower” is anthemic in its own right, a heartfelt banger with melodies bound to get stuck in one’s head (in the good way). The only problem is that this “Sunflower” is too short. But maybe that’s why each listen of this melodic tune leaves one wanting more.
Although all four songs share the same title, some “Sunflowers” stand tall and vibrant, while others dwindle, falling short.