We last dropped in on Eighty Ninety last November, when they released “Yourself.” The soft and dreamy indie-pop track was classic Abner and Harper James, the brothers who comprise Eighty Ninety. It was thoughtful, heartfelt, and vulnerable—all elements that are constantly found in the duo’s music. The track was also relationship-focused, touching on connection and devotion. The brothers are experts on speaking from the soul at this point, as they manage to openly and effortlessly share intimate feelings and thoughts in their songs. Their newest single, “Hollywood Dream,” is no exception.
On “Hollywood Dream,” Eighty Ninety place us right in the middle of a movie—but whether it’s a rom-com or a drama, that’s for you to decide. Over driving bass and guitar, Abner gives us soft vocals as he sings, “You say you’ll move out west / You say you know what’s best / And I know you know you want me to say I will follow you,” touching on the reality and fantasy found in the relationship. He then romanticizes the situation by claiming that these scenes all lead up to that big “Hollywood moment” where the characters fight in the street or in the rain. In the end, they are “lost inside some Hollywood dream.”
About “Hollywood Dream,” Eighty Ninety share,
“‘Hollywood Dream’ is about the thrill and longing that can consume a relationship until you start to wonder if that intensity is love or just addiction. It’s about the desire to mythologize your life, to see yourself inside a cinematic story that gives everything meaning—even the pain. But it’s also about how those stories can trap you. And how, even when you know that, part of you still wants to stay inside the dream.”
You can listen to “Hollywood Dream” here.
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