The Vamps lead singer Bradley Simpson taps into emotional metaphors and lingering pain in his latest single, “Picasso.”
Having released four studio albums as the frontman for The Vamps, Simpson released his debut single “Cry at the Moon,” his emotionally charged alternative rock single. In stark contrast to his pop sound with The Vamps, Simpson blends soulful and captivating melodies in his follow-up single, “Picasso.”
We sometimes don’t know what’s good for us. Simpson reflects on the chaos and pain in the relationship but still finds himself coming back for more and puts a new twist on the idea of art. He emphasizes how one may keep returning to a piece of art despite its dark undertones that lurk beneath the shadows.
Capitalizing on the emotional longing and regret in “Cry at the Moon,” Simpson faces another emotionally intense experience with “Picasso.” Throughout the song, Simpson uses the metaphor of Picasso — renowned Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso — and his art to convey the idea of turning pain and suffering into something beautiful. He sings, “Where’d you learn to break a heart / Turn the torture into art? / Who the hell do you think you are / Picasso.”
“It’s a storytelling song, and while the message of it is heartbreak, it is not a sad song,” he said in an interview with Digital Journal.
Simpson doesn’t learn from his pain because of how madly in love he is, as depicted in the lyrics, “I’d run into a burning room / I’d pose and let you paint me black and blue / Picasso.”
In his second solo single, Simpson explores the complexities of love, pain and art in this giant metaphor that makes art contagious and love infectious. He turns suffering into something meaningful — it’s “Picasso.”
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