在生 by per se (song)

Starting off simply with a clear, strong female voice and a few chords on the piano and the guitar, the song suddenly becomes more groovy and energetic as the guitar introduces us to the rest of the song. Yep, per se, a poetic pop band established back in 2012, has released their new song 在生 (The Lovers). I am sure that you will be loving this song not before too long, and not without good reasons. As a fan of old and new Canto-pop songs, I can verify this is both a groovy bop and a meaningful song. Well, let’s waste no time and jump straight to it!

To start off with, let’s briefly introduce the band per se. Our singers in the song are none other than Sandy and Stephen, who are the only members of the band. Starting off first as a side project in school, this duo kept finding new inspirations here and there, and released their first album “per se” in 2013. However, it was in 2016 that their first Canto-pop song was created, which then lead to them making more songs and albums in Cantonese.

This song, 在生 (The Lovers), is in Cantonese as well, and it sounds just as good as some other Canto-pop songs, and it certainly deserves a place among the good ones. Both singers have their own distinct characteristics and styles, yet they blend together like bread and butter, always sweet and harmonious! As for the backing tracks and instruments, it seems to me that only a piano, guitar and drum set are used in the song. Am I complaining? Absolutely not! The drums created a straightforward and groovy beat that makes you want to tap your feet to it, and the guitar and piano created suitable tones for different parts of the song, like the piano softly waltzing with Sandy’s voice in softer parts, and the guitars playing energetically while the singers sing excitedly and with hope.

Personally speaking, the meaning behind the song is also just as interesting and simple to understand. If you know the famous phrase “Time waits for no one”, then this song should be even more meaningful to you. In the song, the singers state how time will continue to flow and how we will die inevitably. This would surely set a somber and serious tone, right? The singers acknowledge that death comes for us eventually and time would only continue to fly, but the singers also remain positive, both through their lyrics and the music. The music continues to set an energetic tone and create a vibrant, colourful world, whereas the lyrics encourage us to live in the moment, don’t question anymore and enjoy every moment you can spend with your loved ones, which in the singers’ case, are the lovers.

All in all, the song is genuinely catchy and amazing, and I think anyone listening to it will find their own interpretation of the lyrics and meanings behind it. This song is available on all major platforms such as Spotify, Joox and iTunes.
– Joshua
17th October 2022

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