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Ravive’s “Sahara” is filled with lyrical imagery that perfectly captures the feeling of being lost. This song is as much melodic artwork as it is visual, with breathtaking descriptions like “been walking for 100 years, my body is on fire.”
Ravive trudges through the desert, bringing the listener along with her. She connects with her audience by vulnerably explaining the feeling of hopelessness in her journey, practicing candor with how exhausting being lost can feel. Hauntingly beautiful in nature, the writer explains her experience, “Pop music has always been a euphoric, but sometimes heartbreaking sonic trip for me, so I wanted to create a song that could be that experience for someone else.”
Throughout the song, the driving bass line and 808’s dance with the vocal cadence in rhythm with the music. The low punch of the bass juxtaposes her light and airy tone, bringing a nice depth to the song. The echoes of a rock music career are evident in the tag when she sings “will the sahara ever bring me home?” The vocals open up, creating a large room around the listener, and the instruments stay close to the ground, making a hypnotising synth-pop song. The minimal production creates an emphasis on her breezy vocals to shine through, which is exactly what they do in this piece.
If I had to describe this song in one word, I would say desperation; but not in the way you would think. Desperate yet hopeful that one day the new-comer Ravive might make it out of the desert, and feel the relief of being home. The song feels like an inhale, holding a breath for something more, and I can’t wait to see what that something is.
By: Ariha Vaquera