Caroline Romano is basking in the moment. Unequivocally her most-streamed song to-date, the R3HAB remix of “I Still Remember” fires on all cylinders and inches toward one and a half million Spotify streams, signaling stardom perches on the horizon. As she collects such early success, there is no slowing down just yet.
Videos by American Songwriter
Considering the state of the world, as we continue navigating COVID-19 and spikes in new cases, artists are having to get inventive in their art. For Romano, that meant filming the song’s wonderfully weird, exuberant, and quirky new video, premiering today, entirely in quarantine. The lyrics slither into a fresh context, too.
“Yeah, I’ve been in the dark, oooh / Yeah, I guess that it’s been hard getting to you,” she remarks with the opening lyric. Originally written in late 2018, alongside Nashville co-writers Ben Williams, Karl-Ola Kjellholm, and Sam Bergeson, the song was initially intended as commentary on letting current or past love fade from view. More than anything, it speaks on personal transformation and owning up to it.
Now, however, you could say the glistening pop track, containing masterful production work courtesy of R3HAB, expresses angst and mental overload over the lockdown.
Instead of featuring a dashing scene partner, the visual depicts Romano having dinner with a mannequin, a manifestation of her relationship’s rise and eventual fall. She’s even seen wielding a torch to carve out and piece the mannequin’s pieces together. “I’m caught up in second chances / You’ve been passing my advances / Guess there’s nowhere else for us to go,” she shrugs amidst a synth snowstorm. “Can’t you see that / I’ve been mending what I’m missing / You’ve been making bad decisions / But you’re all I’ve really ever known.”
“[This video] is definitely my favorite video I’ve done thus far. The song itself is very upbeat and happy, so I wanted the video to juxtapose the song with some really weird, almost twisted elements, while still keeping everything fun,” Romano tells American Songwriter. “I drew a lot of inspiration for this video from shows like, ‘The Umbrella Academy,’ as well as music videos from artists like Conan Gray and Panic! At the Disco.”
She adds, “I think the music video shows a side of me that I haven’t really shared yet, so it will be really cool to see people’s reactions to the video. I’m so glad that this project is finally out for everyone to see, and I hope people love it as much as I do.”
Originally from Mississippi, Romano first hit the scene three years ago with the Jacob Whitesides-featuring “Masterpiece.” She went on to issue a series of singles, including 2019’s “Games” and “The Dark Side of 17,” leveling up each step of the way for a true breakout moment. “I Still Remember” stands as a career best, a moment she’ll soon pinpoint as when things took off in unimaginable and meteoric ways.
Watch “I Still Remember” below.
Photo Credit: Remedy Creative
