You might have heard the viral song “Double Take” that was all over TikTok last summer.
“Moonlight” is written by the same artist that wrote that viral song and evokes the same R&B melody, Dhruv. These songs are part of Dhruv’s first EP titled “Rapunzel” and although I could do an entire album review for that album and rave about how relatable and therapeutic all the tracks are, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite tracks of the album- Moonlight.
Many of us out there are hopeless romantics believing that being in love possesses qualities that come straight out of fairy tales. Dhruv is an artist that embraces this quality of his pours into the song.
The most poetic stanza of this song for me is “Moonlight | I’ll be smitten with you on these blue nights | You’ll be holding me until the sunrise| And the songbirds be waking up | Oh, true love | Kinda hoped it would feel like a rom-com | I’ve been planning this out in my notebook| Since I was a little boy|”
His lyrics paint a picture in your mind of sitting under the blue moonlight till dawn with someone you love. Straight out of a movie.
Growing up in Singapore and later in New York, he highlights that he hadn’t seen or experienced much of what navigating queer love was like and that is what inspired this song along with many other songs on his EP. This fantasy of what being in love could be like since he had never seen it play out in real life was something he thought was only something that could happen on the big screen.
This is seen in the lines “Poetry and handpicked flowers | Say you’ll meet me at the altar | Can we fall in love in the moonlight?|”
Even if you haven’t experienced unrequited love or are a hopeless romantic, Dhruv evokes his emotions and really lets the listener feel what he is going through.
Listening to Moonlight really feels like it’s 12am and you’re staring at the stars under the moonlight.
Invite someone this summer to sit with you at midnight to stargaze and play this song for them. Maybe you’ll get lost in the moonlight with them too.
Check out the Moonlight audio video.
