DON'T THINK TOO FAST: THE AMBIGUITY OF SUMMER TIME LOVE
Words by KING
Summer, it's a whimsical time of the year. It’s when most people free up from school, or general responsibilities and indulge themselves in the heat. No longer focused on the trivial parts of life as they dissipate into June, we become more available to meet new people and even more susceptible to falling in love.
With any love, it starts with a silly little crush. Maybe you’ll think about them for a week and those thoughts wash away into the ocean. If those thoughts persist, you become submerged by the sea of ideas about that certain someone. With so much free time during the summer, what else is there to think about?
If you’re lucky enough and those feelings are reciprocated, some sort of relationship forms, and out of nowhere you two have a shot at becoming something real. Although, by the end of August
they become a questionable part of your life.
Are we more than friends? Do I like you? Do you want me? What happens next?
You’ve often heard the phrase, “summer love” or “summer fling” come about. This part of summer culture is what Middle Child's creative sounds intern, Jaren Uch, represents in his new mixtape DON’T THINK TOO FAST.
“I wanted to create this mixtape as a way to convey a story of a person getting into a summertime romance— where they don’t know if they made the right choice or not to be with this person. Ultimately by the end of the mixtape, there is no answer and it’s essentially up to your interpretation on how you think their relationship turns out. The main question is: will they actually be with this person or will this just be a summer fling?”
- Jaren Uch, Middle Child Creative Sounds Intern
When it comes to inspiration, Jaren’s real-life summer happenings manifested itself into the mixtape. A love story like no other, it started in the direct messages. Swiping up on a repost about an artist he knew fully about, he played dumb to start a conversation. One thing led to another and they found each other on their schedules daily. As summer comes winding down, Jaren says the two's chances of making it out to summer together are pretty likely. A bit more maturing here and there is needed, but it's all go-lucky for the next couple of months.
Granted, you can never be too sure as their last year of university is on the horizon and a career waiting for them, the two can only be left to a mystery. Who knows if love will make it through the trivial youthful pursuit and mature into something real?
DON'T THINK TOO FAST plays both sides of summertime love; being carefree with nothing on your mind except the romanticization of that certain someone and the pending end of this moment in time. Just like a firework, will this summertime relationship fizzle out?
Below is the Soundcloud mix hyperlinked into the image. Additionally, a Spotify link will be provided, but this platform's version does skew the listening experience and storytelling Jaren incorporated into the mixtape. Also located on the Features page is the Curator's Cut giving an analysis of each song within the playlist through the mind of Middle Child’s Creative Sounds Intern, Jaren Uch.