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Paper Promises
Artist: FenVian
Genre: Indie Funk / Nu-Disco / Anxious Pop
(Verse 1)
Sunlight hits the kitchen chrome, you're makin' coffee strong
Tellin' me the future's ours and we can't get it wrong
Posted up a black-and-white, a caption and a date
Friends are sendin' fire emojis, callin' us "true fate"
It's a really pretty picture, the colors all agree
But I'm stress-testing the physics of the way you look at me
(Pre-Chorus)
Oh, it's all champagne and headlines, a standing ovation
Left my last negotiation with a scar and hesitation
I'm nodding at your promises, your manifesto smile
While I'm auditing the fine print in our paradise-by-mile
(Chorus)
Yeah, we signed it in moonlight, our own little treaty
Built a world without weapons, declared it complete
Got the whole town believin' our official story
But this kinda forever feels dangerously easy
Just a paper promise, darling, ain't it sweet?
(Verse 2)
We're drawing up the blueprints on a napkin at the bar
Planning out a decade from the backseat of your car
No enforcement clauses, babe, no consequence for lies
Just the full faith and the credit I can see there in your eyes
And I wanna buy it all, yeah, I'm trying to invest
But I'm guarding my own borders, putting everything to test
(Pre-Chorus)
Oh, it's all confetti cannons, a syndicated show
I remember other summits that were built on summer snow
I'm framing your assurances, hanging them with pride
While I'm building up a bunker just to have a place to hide
(Chorus)
Yeah, we signed it in moonlight, our own little treaty
Built a world without weapons, declared it complete
Got the whole town believin' our official story
But this kinda forever feels dangerously easy
Just a paper promise, darling, ain't it sweet?
(Bridge)
So tell me, is this pact for real or just for the campaign?
Am I just a line-item you forgot to fund again?
Is your love a declaration or a non-binding decree?
'Cause the last man built a monument, then left the bill with me
We're building this cathedral right on a fault line
I need more than your word for it... I need a better sign
(Guitar Solo - Clean, funky, Nile Rodgers-esque, but with a slight melancholic undertone)
(Outro)
Dangerously easy
Yeah, you make it feel so easy
(Written on water)
A paper promise, darlin'
(Is it written on water?)
Ain't it sweet?
Dangerously...
(Fade out with bassline and a single, repeating synth arpeggio)
About The Song
"Paper Promises" uses the framework of a landmark, yet ultimately unenforceable, international climate pact (like the 'Helios Accord') as a potent metaphor for a new romantic relationship. The song captures the duality of immense hope and paralyzing anxiety. On the surface, two people have made a grand, public declaration of their future together—their own personal "treaty." However, the narrator, guided by past hurts, actively interrogates the foundation of this promise. They are applying the Active Agency Mandate (AAM) to their own heart, asking: Is this commitment funded with genuine substance, or is it just a 'paper promise,' beautiful in its declaration but fragile and "written on water"? The song channels the breezy, confident funk of artists like Sabrina Carpenter to create a sonic irony; the upbeat, danceable track masks a deep lyrical vulnerability, mirroring how we often project confidence to hide our deepest insecurities.
Production Notes
Overall Vibe: Nu-Disco meets Anxious Pop. Clean, tight, and groovy, but with an undercurrent of emotional tension.
Vocals: The lead vocal should be close-mic'd and intimate, but delivered with a confident, almost cheeky swagger, inspired by Sabrina Carpenter's style. Use a Neumann U87 or similar condenser. The vocal chain should be simple: light compression (LA-2A style) to manage dynamics without squashing the performance, subtle EQ, and a touch of plate reverb. Backing vocals should be tight, harmonized stacks in the chorus, panned wide.
Instrumentation:
- Drums: A tight, punchy four-on-the-floor beat. Think LinnDrum or a well-tuned acoustic kit with gated reverb on the snare. Keep it driving and locked in.
- Bass: The star of the rhythm section. A clean, round bass tone (think Music Man StingRay) playing a melodic, syncopated line that moves the song forward. It should be prominent in the mix.
- Guitar: A clean, compressed Fender Stratocaster playing a choppy, percussive Nile Rodgers-style funk riff. It should sit in the pocket and interact with the bassline.
- Synths: Use vintage-sounding polysynths (like a Juno-60 or Prophet-5) for shimmering pads and bright, bubbly arpeggios that add to the '80s sheen.
Arrangement & Mix: The verses should feel a bit more sparse, letting the bass and vocals lead. The choruses should explode in width and energy, with stacked vocals and brighter synths. For the bridge, use automation to pull the instruments back slightly and push the lead vocal forward, making it more raw and confessional. The outro should strip away elements, leaving just the bassline, a repeating synth arp, and the whispered ad-libs to create a sense of an unresolved thought loop.
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