For those who are increasingly miffed by the state of affairs in this devolving world, as Rose Gray would remind, “Everything changes” (or, perhaps more accurately, “Nothing gold can stay”). Even her own already released music. Hence, a remixed version of Louder, Please’s “Everything Changes (But I Won’t),” ostensibly designed to remind listeners of what a bop it is (in addition to the entire record it hails from).
In fact, with everyone complaining that there is no clear-cut song of the summer, Rose Gray’s remixed track ought to be nominated as a contender before it’s too late (even if Tame Impala has already declared it to be the “End of Summer” anyway). Of course, it might be deemed too “esoteric” (read: too “clubby”) to appeal to a broad audience. And yet, if one looks to Addison Rae’s debut, Addison, it’s apparent that electronica-oriented grooves inspired by Madonna’s Ray of Light (see also: Veronica Electronica) are all the rage right now—and getting plenty of mainstream attention. So why not “Everything Changes (But I Won’t),” remix edition?
Originally produced by Shawn Wasabi (who also co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter), his efforts are now complemented by additional production from Casey MQ. Not only that, but the lyrical, that’s right, changes (ironically enough) to the song are noticeable from the get-go, with Gray commencing, “Everything’s changed so fucking much. I barely recognize us.” This said in a way that recalls the dramatic intro reading (by British model Agyness Deyn) to Rihanna’s “We Found Love” video. Indeed, there is something about this song that matches the drama/toxic-meets-hopelessly-devoted-to-you relationship depicted in the latter. And, in contrast to starting the song out by painting the scene, “We were twenty-one/Somewhere in New York, you showed me Brooklyn nights/You made me like myself, you made me love my face,” Gray instead switches/flashes forward to, “We were twenty-five, summer in London/You broke my heart that night when you ended things/And your friends are mine, so it makes it confusing/I still feel that punch in my gut like it was yesterday/I still feel your love on my breast, I lie wide awake.”
After all, the problem with never changing (a “problem” that seems more common in women who can’t let go of a relationship/man that’s ultimately damaging them) is that, more often than not, those around you do. And then tend to make you feel bad and/or guilty—or worse still, “less than”—for not “progressing,” not “evolving.” But, as humanity has seen time and time again, progress doesn’t always signal the kind of growth that’s beneficial in the long-term (see: the Industrial Revolution).
Of course, there are those who will dogmatically argue that the pain of not changing is far greater than the pain of surrendering to the “natural order” that is change. Not Gray though. And, needless to say, she’s not a mutable sign of the zodiac—with Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces and Gemini being the mutable signs associated with easily embracing and adapting to change. But, no, Gray surprisingly isn’t a fixed sign (Aquarius, Taurus, Leo or Scorpio) either. Instead, she’s a Capricorn who falls under the cardinal sign category. These being the people most likely to initiate something, whether relationships or projects rather than staying committed to them. But with the help of the fixed sign Taurus that is Shygirl, “Everything Changes (But I Won’t)” gets a dose of additional credibility when it comes to the conviction of the message at its core (apart from the Elton John-esque urging to “hold me closer”).
And one thing about that message that absolutely doesn’t change from the original version of the song is the wistful-sounding (in truth, the entire song has an extremely nostalgic aura to it) chorus: “‘Cause everything changes/But I won’t when the party stops being fun/I’ll have the patience/To stay home when you come down from the drugs.” Obviously, Harris Dickinson is a lucky man. For it’s not every bloke who can secure such a devoted girlfriend. And one who also likes to party, to boot.
To be sure, “Everything Changes (But I Won’t)” is emblematic of Gray’s long-standing love for partying up in the club, commenting of this unique culture, “If you’re going to the right places, all inhibitions are dropped and no one cares what you do.” As a matter of fact, this is one element of club culture that people can count on never changing, even with the existence of smartphones. For if you’re truly lost in the music, you won’t even be thinking about using your phone to “film the experience.” So it is that, in a certain sense, Gray can even be deemed to be speaking from the proverbial dance floor’s perspective when she repeats, like a mantra, “Everything changes/But I won’t, I won’t, I won’t, I won’t.”
To emphasize that the club will forever be a safe space for losing yourself and your inhibitions (or, as Madonna put it on “Vogue,” “I know a place where you can get away/It’s called a dance floor”), Gray offers a lyric video, directed and edited by Rauri Cantelo, filled with visuals (many courtesy of Shygirl’s signature club night, Club Shy) that showcase the sense of freedom people can only feel inside these darkened, bass-thumping environs. For, while it might look like a “room of fools” (an FKA Twigs’ Eusexua reference), they are a room of fools together. United in their sense of freedom.
So it is that one of Shygirl’s added verses in this edition of the song has particular resonance on a level that extends far beyond a romantic meaning: “Rhythm of love/Impressions of me/One becomes us/Forever always/I want you to love me/I want you to stay/Look what we made/Forever, always.” Phrased in another familiar way, “Rhythm is a dancer/It’s our soul’s companion/People feel it everywhere/Lift your hands and voices/Free your mind and join us/You can feel it in the air.” This perhaps proving an adage that’s antithetical to “everything changes”: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” At least in clubland.
