Color Review: "Love is Blind" by Ravyn Lenae

Mauve is bittersweet with experience. Delicacies of pink play with the gravity of its fraternal twin, violet, but in the parameters of gray’s soft gate of ambiguity. This intersection of playful innocence, decadence, and ambivalence similarly decorates Ravyn Lenae’s single “Love is Blind” the first offering from her upcoming sophomore album “Bird’s Eye” coming August 9th. Lyrically, themes of Romanticism and poised frustration have a place to rest and reflect with the soft sovereignty of #B99BA3 we take advantage of but often disregard for its surface-level harmlessness.

Fluttering with angelic notes, the intro is reminiscent of a Dallas Austin and Fred Jerkins production, establishing a balance of nostalgia with a progression similar to what Ludwig Göransson does. This seemingly experimental soundscape sets a grounded stage to tell a story of love cycles, release, and self-preservation floating on currents of frustration. Ignorance is bliss, but at what cost? Romantic cycles are inevitable when decorated with the mystery of infatuation, hugged with the passion of fixation, and isolated in the name of protection. Ravyn reminds us to audit the facts (“You aren't the one for me if it tasted bittersweet”/How do you love me if you leave me behind?”) in 3 minutes and 52 seconds through her own experience.

In the context of interiors, the message of soft retribution for lack of presumed effort in the track is most reflected through #B99BA3, a shade of Mauve that marries idealism and eccentricity to practicality and elegance, if possible. At first sight, this hue feels safe and soft, and without thought, it can calm the intensities of frustration, but stir the extremes of fear into a stalemate if you stay with it for too long because of the latent uncertainty in its undertones. For these reasons, #B99BA3 will signal a sense of composure at the front door before entering, alerting visitors that they’re entering a space of sanctity, just as the first few seconds of the track insist on a benign mood.

In the living/entertainment room, #B99BA3 is a cozy amplifier of browns, greys, and whites as a rug or a side table, just as the cozy acoustic guitar diffuses the song’s conclusion. It is not ideal in the kitchen unless it is for pure aesthetics because the qualities of #B99BA3 do not strongly supplement kitchen functions and behaviors for cooking or stimulating the appetite. Lyrically, Ravyn realizes the person she sings about is misplaced in her life (“I should have known you better”) and opts for departure instead of adjustment. In the bedroom, #B99BA3 is ideal for curating an environment of elegance, youthful antiquity, and sophistication against any neutral hue except green. If you plan to use this as a leading hue in the bedroom, it can foster a sense of passive regality as it quiets the richness of its violet qualities and soothes the eagerness of its pink qualities.

Brands and businesses that demand individual thought, like creative offices, should use #B99BA3 to fuel original and ambitious ideas. For physical businesses, this is an appropriate hue for spaces that call for sophistication led by softness, like yoga studios, mental health service offices, dermatologist offices, and nail salons.

In totality, the mysticism of cyclical connections rests in commitment to the ideas we place on them. Ravyn Lenae’s passerine delivery of this message is directly connected to #B99BA3’s psychological benefits in naive courage balanced with emotional depth.