Léa Sen asks herself the big questions in “I Feel Like I’m Blue”

Over intoxicatingly gloomy sounds, Léa Sen mulls over her thoughts, feelings, and the journey she finds herself on. In combination with the obvious emotion held in Sen’s voice, the production of new single “I Feel Like I’m Blue” is fascinating. While dominated by steadily sullen sounds, the three-quarter mark sees the backing turn experimental and ambient, immediately followed by a guitar solo from Sen herself.

“You know when you have a concept or an idea in your head and never really act on it? That’s what this was to me,” Sen explains. “I felt like I was writing too much about the past or the present (which is already the past) and I got stuck in memories and vanished promises, so I needed to write something about tomorrows.”

“It’s really just a conversation with my future self. “Do you finally get this right? Do you eventually let this go? I know you still feel that way, it’s cool. I don’t expect perfection from you.”

Despite these broader themes of self-acceptance and reflection, “I Feel Like I’m Blue” certainly leans into a feeling of melancholy. In less capable hands this might feel all too heavy, but Léa Sen’s captivating performance of this delicately crafted song allows for a valuable vulnerability to shine through.

The song arrives with a similarly contemplative video, which sees Sen considering her feelings in a large, empty house. It’s a compelling watch; she writes various thoughts out onto a pane of glass, she smudges them out, and she starts again. It’s a duly overcast video that compliments the song nicely and features guest-star Blue The Chameleon.

Accompanying Sen throughout the video, Blue’s purpose is twofold; “he’s an extension of me and we’re going through the motions together,” she comments. “It's also a hint at the challenge of being an immigrant in London and sometimes having to (whether you’re conscious of it or not) change yourself to fit this foreign picture you’re now a part of.”

The track makes up one-fifth of Léa Sen’s upcoming EP You Of Now Pt.1. “This song is key in my EP, it was the first song I made out of the five,” says Lea, describing it as “the start of so much work I did on myself while making the tunes alone in my room. The first production I made that I felt proud of.”

It’s a rich offering from an artist who has already garnered considerable attention, perhaps most notably via Joy Orbinsons 2021 release still slipping vol.1. “I’m glad past Léa made that song so I can share it today,” ponders the present-day artist; we couldn’t agree more.