“You are the light in the painting /
That my eye is drawn to first.”
At the beginning of the week, Lizzy McAlpine announced on Instagram that her fourth album Angel will be released on Sep. 18, and, with that, the first track off the album, “The light in the painting,” an all-encompassing, warm and cozy love song, was to be dropped on July 23.
In a literal sense, light in paintings is an easy way to highlight the main subject of the piece. A candle on the table, or the sun shining through the window, gives the artist an excuse to emphasize what is most important in the piece. In a more palette-based sense, the lighter colors in art, such as white, yellow and lighter pinks and blues, are where we look on a generally darker piece. Even looking at the album cover for Angel, I at least found my eyes focusing in on the little bits of yellow and sky blue the most. It’s only natural for our eyes to drift towards the light in the dark.
Based on McAlpine’s Instagram story post celebrating the music video, captioned “#hardlaunch,” it seems she may have been lucky enough to find her light in the dark.
“Holy ground when you kiss me /
Sacred spaces all around /
Steal an hour in the evening /
Just to hold you now.”
The song’s lyrics take us through McAlpine’s view of her relationship in a stunning, metaphoric way. They capture how people often feel at the start of a relationship, then later moving into that falling-in-love phase. The song itself seems to be wrapping you in a tender hug.
Sink my nails into your skin /
What a beautiful way to finally feel something.”
The music video pairs beautifully with the track. Channeling both the chorus and title, she encapsulates that “light in the painting” feeling well… golden hour sun rays kissing the top of your head and the tips of your fingers — blessing gentle moments, making them sacred. Her melody takes a simple approach, perfectly pairing with the simplicity shown in the video. It’s a testament to how wonderful the mundane and peaceful can be when you’re with someone you care about so deeply.
It’s no joke when people say you are the light in their life. In a world drowning us with noise and darkness, it’s important to find some of that light seeping in to keep you afloat. So, with that, I can only hope you’ll keep an eye out for that light in your painting, and if you’ve found it already, don’t be afraid to celebrate.
‘Start a fire when you touch me /
Hold it close between our chests /
If somewhere there is a heaven /
This is as close as I will get.”
