As an awkward thirteen-year-old girl lost in the midst of a pandemic, all I was attempting to find was the true form of myself. The first step I took in this expedition was discovering my music taste which, in hindsight, used to be absolutely horrendous. As I played “America’s Top Hits” and all of my “Daily Mixes” on Spotify, I was finally gifted with the beautiful music produced by The Lumineers.

The Lumineers provide both a mellow, melancholy feeling with songs such as “Flapper Girl” and “Long Way From Home” while also making upbeat, sanguine music like “Cleopatra” and “Stubborn Love.” The versatility of The Lumineers made it easier for me to fall in love with the band.

On Sept. 20, 2021, the band came out with their newest single, “BRIGHTSIDE,” as a teaser for their next album that will be released on Jan. 14, 2022. Since there has never been a song in The Lumineers’ discography that I dislike, my expectations were sky high for this song, and thankfully, I was not let down.

On the spectrum from dulcet to euphoric, “BRIGHTSIDE” lands right in the middle; it has optimistic lyrics while still projecting rays of tranquility and serenity into my ears. The constant, yet unique, beat of the drum paired with the electric guitar produces a beautiful, soft-rock sound that comforts me.

The Lumineers sing about a loved one who is feeling numb about the world in which they live in. In the song, the band sings “You were tired of Tacoma/I was tired of believing we were right/losing every other friend/finding nothing in the afterlife,” depicting the loss of excitement, loved ones, and the loss of motivation to keep going forward.

However, the song is written from the perspective of someone who truly cares about this person and is eager to guide them through their endeavors and bring them to the other end of the tunnel. The Lumineers show this by singing “I’ll be your brightside, baby, tonight,” in the chorus of the song.

When I first listened to “BRIGHTSIDE,” I immediately fell in love with those lyrics. They perfectly depict the unconditional love that two people can have with each other; no matter the plights or predicaments their loved one is in, they’ll always be there for one another as a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, or a smile to laugh with.

As a slightly less awkward fifteen-year-old girl who’s still lost in the midst of a pandemic, I have come a long way in the journey of finding my true self. Though I am still discovering my music taste, The Lumineers have stuck with me, and will most definitely stay with me, as I grow into the person I’ve been searching for.

Fitting almost every mood and every occasion, the music produced by The Lumineers has become a piece to the puzzle that is me. “BRIGHTSIDE,” which taught me about unconditional love, will always be playing in the back of my mind as a reminder of the person I was and the person I have become.