Coming of Age... · Track 11
Struggling in 4K
4:13
The song
Struggling in 4K explores the distance between a polished online image and the anxiety, pressure and exhaustion hidden behind it.
Story Behind the Song — This Perspective
In Ilajna’s Version, the imagery is polished, beautiful and painfully familiar: the perfect sunset, the carefully chosen photo, the caption saying everything is going great. But behind that image is a much messier reality.
Read the full story of Struggling in 4K on Keviv Ardnahc’s site.
Lyrics
Hold still... Perfect... Yeah... She posts the sunset A golden glow on her skin An aesthetic life She's letting us all in Took a hundred photos Just to get it right Acting like she woke up In this flawless light Caption says she's thriving Living on the coast But she was in my car Sobbing right before the post We're playing the directors Of our little lies Hiding all the burnout Right behind our eyes Blurring out the shadows Editing the pain Posing for the camera Dancing in the rain The grid is looking perfect The colors are so deep But half the girls I follow Are just crying in their sleep We swipe away the ugly Keeping only the elite Just another pretty doll Passing on the street Oh... It's a cinematic masterpiece Glowing on the screen Acting out the lead role Of a teenage dream But the ring light's getting heavy And smiling is a chore Yeah we're struggling in 4K Crying on the floor We're getting curated Painted in the light But tell me Who is actually doing fine tonight? We look like a movie But the script is a fake Just smiling for the camera Wondering what it will take Struggling in 4K... Leaving the real me behind... A casual little photo dump A coffee and a blur A candid in the mirror Though I know how we were Touching up the lip gloss Holding in our breath Posing in the bathroom Stressing half to death Waiting for the dopamine A comment from a friend Typing out "You're stunning" Pretending till the end Screen time is toxic Self-esteem is shot But look at the aesthetic Look at what I've got Strip away the filters Take away the glare Is there anybody breathing Underneath the hair? If I break down If I show the mess Would you still double-tap Or would you love me less? We're shooting a blockbuster Watching it depart A high-definition camera And a broken heart Oh... It's a cinematic masterpiece Glowing on the screen Acting out the lead role Of a teenage dream But the ring light's getting heavy And smiling is a chore Yeah we're struggling in 4K Crying on the floor We're getting curated Painted in the light But tell me Who is actually doing fine tonight? We look like a movie But the script is a fake Just smiling for the camera Wondering what it will take Struggling in 4K... Cinematic masterpiece... But I'm losing my mind... Struggling in 4K... Leaving the real me behind
Another perspective
Keviv's VersionKeviv’s perspective on Struggling in 4KHear the full song
This recording appears on Coming of Age..., by Keviv Ardnahc and Ilajna Avatsavirs.
Credits and release
- Artist
- Ilajna Avatsavirs
- Lyrics / writing
- Keviv Ardnahc
- Released
- Producer
- Keviv Ardnahc