No generation is loveless, Gen-Z just lacks the courage to truly embody it. We are predisposed to fake, make-shift versions of it so then the real versions feel too scary. We have disney to thank for that and the inundation of half-baked social media think pieces coupled with more fake and materialistic ‘examples of love’ on media.
This brings us to the first song of my music blog!!!
As i listened to Manana’s ‘Embrace Me’, featuring Shekhinah, I was inspired to finally share the thoughts that music plants and waters in my mind. A testament that the music one listens to truly has a profound influence on the thoughts that you carry with you afterwards (/during).
In the song, Manana sets a charged scene beginning with a conversation between lovers who’ve just said things to each other that they did not mean, seeming to be engaging in a classless match of ‘caring less’. Eventually though – admitting to the fact that things are getting out of hand, he says “can we just take a breath, before we regret – cause we might never ever find something like this again, so can you embrace me.. I’m begging”. These are the words that began a 7 hour repeat-loop of this song on a Saturday afternoon. I couldn’t believe the ease with which Manana fluently speaks of the ebbs and flow of love but also how much i needed to hear those words (not from Manana ofcourse).
Back to the loveless generation that is my dear Gen-Z; the words Manana just expressed in song as we’ve just read – would send us into a fit! What do you mean you are BEGGING? What do you mean you are admitting that you might never EVER find something like this again? That is what we would call “being too much”. And personally? I hate that we think this way.
There’s a couple of things that make us this way, i would argue:
Firstly, i think most Gen-Z could not identify a ‘once in a lifetime connection’ if they wanted to. We believe too much in the abundance of options, we have the privilege of exposure to all sorts of options for any and everything & the idea that something may be a fleeting chance, a once in a lifetime situation is practically unfathomable.
Or, secondly, we could feel that something may be special but would not have the emotional aptitude to keep it. To beg a lover, to beg at all, regardless of how important it may be sometimes, is an art that is lost. I am obviously not advocating for irresponsible begging here, i do not support begging for scraps. I think that when you have, for example, struck gold; in that you have found somebody sane, who wants to build something with you and who has the rare talent of being an “i will atleast try to my best ability” person – when that person wants to leave the project you’re both building, it’s okay to beg. In fact, that may be the only thing left in your arsenal to help bring them from being taken out by the forces formed against you.
And third, its unfortunate that we find ourselves in environments that do not nurture that relational humility that’s needed to build something beautiful. Our society loves the idea of love but hates what it means to truly embody that love. The humility to sometimes choose to be less so that someone you love can be or have more is a humility that is frowned upon. One should be careful to not undo the decades of work done to revolutionise power dynamics within heterosexuality with the ‘be less for your partner’ rhetoric. However, the point being made is that to love is as selfless as it is selfish, and the selfless part often goes ignored. We are growing up in an era of a loneliness pandemic that is often caused by a fear of vulnerability that is closely tied to one’s inability to humble themselves to admit need, or to admit wrong. Real love is hard work, that’s the perception change that needs to happen in my generation.
So is Manana a teacher of love to a loveless generation? Anyone who’s listened to Manana’s powerfully beautiful work will tell you how much they’ve learned about love from his music. If you want to experience the school of love & a masterclass of precious music, Manana is your boy.
/https://youtu.be/CaW07z8tfbQ?si=PhkjKKEAaBl9VGbF
thank you for reading my first blog post xo leave me your thoughts. ❤
OMG Mbali Angelou!👏🏽 This well articulated body of work compels one to dive deep into our ethos as a democratic…
Very nicely written, thank you for this comment.
This is such a good goal, i have no doubt you’ll achieve it! 🙂
There’s a particular energy to January resolutions in music that feels different from the usual gym-membership promises – more fragile,…
I’m committing to exploring more of what life has to offer rather than being a homebody.
Muse Journal 
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