In Love Or In A War

Britta Persson “Cliffhanger”

“Cliffhanger” expresses some of the most profound ambivalence that I’ve ever heard in the form of a pop song, to the point that I’ve heard it at least a hundred times over the course of this year, and I still can’t quite figure out if the emotional place where the song begins is any different from where it ends, or if the song is just a lot of deeply-felt epiphanies separated by ellipses. Basically, the lyrics are about being in a stable relationship and constantly thinking about where it will end up as time goes on. The singer is alternately freaked out and comforted by her commitments, and she becomes critical of her mixed emotions — is she simply “feeling a feeling because it’s a feeling?” By the time she’s singing about being ready to move on, it’s hard to tell whether she’s actually willing to break it off, or if it’s just something she’s talked herself into out of fear of eventually disappointing herself or someone else. It’s the most emphatic part of the song, but within seconds we’re back to the indecision of the chorus, and then it’s time for an outro that leaves the composition feeling unresolved, but totally exhausted.

Buy it from the official Britta Persson website.