In a world where it becomes increasingly difficult to find true human connection, where love and friendship seem to be scarce in the face of immediacy and shallow encounters, it is beautifully reassuring to find artists like D’Arcy. Her latest single, hold still, is a heartfelt love letter to her partner, but it speaks universally to those who want to commit to someone and be one of their pillars. As D’Arcy herself explains, “hold still both means I will always hold you and I will keep you still in the face of whatever chaos and grief may come.”
“When the party's over / I’ll be your comfort, I'll be it all / When your friends are dying / I’ll be the light and I'll be it all,” she sings over a guitar riff at the beginning of the song. These lyrics are as intense and melodramatic as they are powerful and comforting. Speaking directly from the heart, D’Arcy lays bare her feelings, showing us a vulnerable side that, at the same time, makes her stronger. Because there is nothing stronger than being self-confident and sure of what you feel.
The song comes out together with a music video directed by D’Arcy’s partner, Leah Wasilewski. Although in reality, it’s a joint effort between the two. “You can note somewhere that the first video was made by me of my partner, and the second video was made by my partner Leah Wasilewski, of me,” the artist reveals. Indeed, the first part of hold still’s music video follows D’Arcy across a field, connecting with nature. It is edited to be in vectorial black and white, giving it a highly digital, alien-like touch. The second part sees D’Arcy in the studio recording that song, something very meta. And by giving us an insight into her process, it also adds to that aspect of showing vulnerability that we were talking about.