the ideas behind
when it rains
HINAGIRL's personal lyrical analysis on her most recent release. when it rains is a five-song extended play record which details HINAGIRL's unfortunate summer.
track one - tulip
tulip places the listener at the end of HINAGIRL's summer rather than at the beginning. through her lyrics, she informs the listener that her summer was rather unexpected, but that she is also having trouble finding the words to describe precisely how tumultuous it was without giving away all of the details too quickly. she goes on to explain that summers in her home state of oregon are expectedly "scorching, blazing, and sunny", but quickly follows up with the idea that in excessive temperatures, unexpected things can happen. HINAGIRL briefly mentions that she feels like her summer happened exactly how it was supposed to, but that it was difficult nonetheless. she closes the track with an ask of the listener: that they listen in full, as she is pursuing her passion of songwriting and storytelling on her terms for the first time in a long time.
track two - i think about june
i think about june places the listener at the end of june, marking the beginning of HINAGIRL's summer; a time at which she is reflecting on the summer prior and how she could have spent it in a more fulfilling way. she explains that time seems to have flown by her, and that there is nothing she can do about it. she reveals that – to some degree – she regrets her somewhat unappreciative disposition during the same time period the year prior. in her guilt, she mentions that time on earth is limited, and that in order to compensate for such, she does her best to tell those around her that she loves them. the track closes with a hopeful mockery: HINAGIRL is hopeful that, with july approaching, she may be able to act differently this time around. however, the vocals as the track concludes repeat and layer to imply that she will not change.
track three - lady loss
lady loss, serves as the ep's longest track, detailing a series of events which occurred in the first two weeks of july. the track opens with HINAGIRL sneering at the sun, complaining about how the heat makes her behave poorly. she goes on to discuss that she has a date in the near future, which is eager to attend. in spite of her excitement, HINAGIRL mentions that a recent breakup is giving way to some degree of regret and grief, which does not seem to leave her. at this point in the track, certain audio choices are made to make the listener feel like HINAGIRL is surrounded by something unexpected. as she continues the story, she makes a statement about expecting what she felt was 'the worst', and receiving something worse than that. she mentions that there are two deaths within a week of one another, a very close call regarding a surgery, and a missing node from her mother's leg. the track's feel switches up, and HINAGIRL goes on to explain just how much the heat bothers her: the heat, which – at this point – has been paired with a sense of overwhelm that fills her with sadness. she personifies the idea of Loss, calling it her beloved. according to HINAGIRL, beloved loss informs her that she is still taking things for granted, and that she should be more grateful. in a vulnerable attempt to defend herself, HINAGIRL sings about how she is flawed. she mentions that her lacking gratitude stems from her own avoidance of the things going on around her, like her mother's prolonged and still-undiagnosed illness. she describes a point in the week at which she is lacking in strength, telling loss about how after buying cigarettes, she cried in the parking lot of a convenience store across the street from the emergency room where her stepfather was being treated for a very serious condition. HINAGIRL sarcastically comments beloved loss on the recent passing of two of her family pets ("one of old age and one so sudden), growing angry as she continues to tell loss how hard it is to watch her sick mother cry over the departed pets: both of which were in HINAGIRL's arms at the time of their passing. she closes the track by challenging ;oss with the statements 'how dare i,' and 'how can i' in reference to her fearful cries.
track four - the river rises
the river rises is an instrumental interlude without any lyrics, intended to sound like a sort of ghastly despair. The track's first iteration was played on an upright piano with no other layers over it, but was ultimately broken down into three parts: chords, melody, and bass. each piano sound is different, and brings a different ambiance to the track. the chord sound patch sounds like wind, while the melody sound patch sounds like crackling wood. the bass sound patch is fairly square, and sounds like enveloping darkness.
track five - reflections: october
reflections: october places the listener at a point in time well after HINAGIRL's summer has concluded. she opens the track in confusion, wondering when exactly summer ended. she ponders whether the changing weather patterns might have indicated the summer's departure, but settles on the idea that – figuratively speaking – it was already raining during her summer, so the presence of literal rain in the fall is otherwise unordinary. she begins to tell the listener about a feeling of dread that wasn't hiding despite being undetected; in the face of this dread, HINAGIRL – singing in the middle of what she thought to be her last semester in college – wishes to go home. she talks about feeling like she is disappearing, and asks the listener to tell her otherwise in order to comfort her. she informs the listener that her most gripping vice – cigarettes – are beginning to pile at her feet, and their abundance serves as a symbol for words she could not previously find in times of loss and fear. she recognizes that loss and fear – and the void that they seem to leave – are great motivators for creation. the track's final idea is this: the winds of change passing through HINAGIRL. as they pass through her, she wonders if she should ride the winds and let go, or continue to dwell on her strife.