"Pool" by Samia // Song Review

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"Pool", the opening track of Samia's 2020 debut album The Baby, is a haunting and introspective introduction that sets the emotional tone for the rest of the project. It's a slow burn that focuses on fleeting intimacy in such a vulnerable way. While the rest of The Baby is more varied stylistically, "Pool" beautifully represents so many of the themes that recur throughout the rest of the album. The Baby feels thoughtfully bookended by "Pool" and the closing track, "Is There Something in the Movies?" as well. "Pool" opens with her grandmother, also named Samia, singing a song she used to sing to her as a child, which is such a deeply personal and grounding way to begin the album. 

In a track-by-track breakdown of The Baby, Samia told Flood Magazine that "Pool" is about "hiding away with someone in a stranger's house in Texas for a few days, spending most of it staring at the moon from the pool, knowing full well this feeling can’t last forever and trying to guess how long it will. Trying to find the beauty amidst the fear in blatantly ephemeral moments." That sentiment lingers throughout the song's lyrics and atmospheric production. Sonically, "Pool" feels reminiscent of The 1975's "Fallingforyou," especially in its dreamy production and emotional weight. Both tracks capture that distinct late-night, suspended-in-time feeling.

"How long do I have left with my dog? 'Til I start forgetting shit? How long 'til we're rich and then we're not, and then we're rich," she sings in the stunning outro. "How much longer 'til I'm taller? How much longer 'til it's midnight? How much longer 'til the mornin'? Are my legs gonna last? Is it too much to ask?"

Several years after its initial release, "Pool" found a second life online when a clip from Samia's 2023 NPR Tiny Desk performance went viral. The stripped-down rendition showcases her raw vocal power and emotional clarity, prompting a wave of new listeners to discover the track. In response to its resurgence, Samia released a new version titled "Pool (Stripped)", which blends the ambient intimacy of the original with the unfiltered vulnerability of her live performance.

Samia is one of my favorite music discoveries in recent years. Getting to see her live at the 2024 Shadow of the City festival in Asbury Park was such a special experience and her set was such a highlight of the day. It's always so exciting to see how platforms like TikTok can breathe new life into deep cuts from independent artists, especially when the song is as deserving as this one. 



Check out more from my song of the week series here + my experience seeing Samia and more live at Shadow of the City 2024. ☆ Thanks for reading!

-Melissa ♡


Photo Credit: Jessica DiMento, Samia, Grand Jury Music



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