Arabella’s Top Four Autoheart Songs

Of all the apps I have on my phone, I have spent the most time on Spotify. I’m obsessed with making fun little playlists for every occasion possible and optimizing how many times I can add my favorite artists to a playlist.

That being said, the band I have been obsessed with lately is Autoheart. Autoheart is a London-based indie-pop group comprised of three members: Jody Gadsden as vocals, Simon Neilson as pianist and saxophonist and Barney JC as guitarist and bassist.

I found Autoheart through a TikTok trend that went viral using their most famous song, “Stalker’s Tango,” and then proceeded to explore their entire discography. Autoheart has such a distinct sound, and each song is easily recognizable from the first few notes.

Now, enough backstory! Here are my top four songs by Autoheart, in no particular order.

No. 1: “Better Version of Me”

“Better Version of Me” is one of my all-time favorite songs by Autoheart. The overall message is about not liking where you are in life mentally and physically but knowing you can do better. I always associate this song with the feeling of burnout and the struggle that comes with it. That being said, this song is also about hope and striving for the best version of yourself.

The pre-chorus sets up that feeling of dread that comes with trying to cover up feelings, with the lyrics saying, “I have a feeling that I'm losing my mind / Cannot deny this is a difficult time,” but ends with one seed of hope before the chorus hits, also saying, “It's such a pressure on my temporal lobe / But I still have hope.”

Then the song’s hope hits: the singer wants a better future. He wants to feel that relief and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I wanna be a better version of me / I have a vision that one day I'll be free / I'm gonna prove that I'm not already gone / I'm not delirious (I'm not delirious) / I wanna be a better version of me.”

It is a wonderful song and set to such a great melody.

No.2: “Lent”

“Lent” is about giving up unhealthy habits and addictions in the same fashion as the Christian observance of the same name. I love “Lent” for its distinct beat and interesting storyline.

Specifically, “Lent” is meant to be about a husband trying to leave his wife and repeatedly comparing her to an addictive drug because of how addictive a person can be.

“I’ll pack it in, pack it in, never smoke anything / Never eat anything that will compromise my health / And, baby that means you, too / That means you.”

The music video gives the context that the song is about a failed marriage, and the husband is trying his best to leave his wife while she is still clinging to the past.

No. 3: “Scorpio”

“Scorpio” gives a great narrative about knowing a narcissist and how in love with themselves they can be, establishing right from the beginning that the recipient of the song has a God complex but is unable to acknowledge it.

“Basically, my epiphany is that I see / You for you, but when you see yourself / All you see is God”

Much like “Lent,” “Scorpio” is about being in a failed relationship because the singer’s partner does not really love the singer but instead is obsessed with themself. As with all of these songs, I fell in love with the beat and the music. I also adore some of the lines in these songs because they say so much about the song and its story. For example, I cannot explain why but I love this line:

“I'm not the jealous kind but in the end that’s what defined me / And I’ll never wear that colour green again.”

No. 4: “Time Machine”

“Time Machine” is, for once in an Autoheart song, about thinking back on a good relationship and how the singer wishes he could go back in time. While we may never know what the original relationship was about, we know that a fight or miscommunication separated the couple.

Once again, I love this song's hook and overall compositing. The second I hear the first few notes, I know exactly which song is playing and what vibes come with it.

Those are my top four Autoheart songs! I highly recommend all of their albums, but these four - plus “Stalker’s Tango” - are a must for music enjoyers.

You can Stream Autoheart on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube!