Inspired Again

Inspiration is a strange thing. It can hit you quickly and surely, lifting your mind and your work to great heights in what feels like an instant. Or, more depressing, it can leave you and not come back for months.

Inspiration left me awhile ago. The lack of writing on here is a good indication of that, as is the lack of recorded music and uploaded photos. I don’t have a good explanation as to why I haven’t felt inspired other than the usual “winter doldrums” stuff that Minnesotans throw around.

Although I hate to admit it, a major part of it might also be how little great music I’ve heard lately. Until now, I haven’t realized how much music serves as a source of inspiration for me. As of last week, I had pretty much resigned myself to feeling, as I put it in a text to a friend, that “I’ll never care as much about music as I did back in high school.”

That might be still be true, but, for now, I’m inspired again.

Last night, I visited the website of the band fun, which is, if you aren’t in the know, the newer project of Nate Ruess of The Format. On the site, the video for a song “We Are Young” from their upcoming full-length plays automatically. The song has been out for months, but I’ve somehow managed to miss it.

That’s not quite true. In fact, I’d been avoiding it. The new music I’ve heard over the past I don’t know how long has been, for the most part, incredibly disappointing. Either it’s me or the bands I’ve loved who have changed. Whichever it is, most of what I’ve heard has sucked.

But this song is different.

With soaring harmonies, impossibly catchy lyrics, and a pulsing beat, it’s pure pop. But it’s best kind of pop. It’s the kind of song that makes you feel like anything is possible, at least for the four or so minutes it’s playing. And for the four minutes that follow when you play it again. And for the four minutes after that when you play it a third time. And so on.

Once again, I am excited and energized again about the idea of creating, and all it took was a stupid pop song to do it.

Maybe pop songs aren’t so stupid after all?