Enemy
Enemy is about the realization that no one has responsibility over your life but you. That you control your thoughts and if you don't, they can have power over you and your life. You can be your own worst enemy and keep yourself from growing personally and professionally, finding and keeping romantic relationships and friendships, because of jealousy, complacency, perfectionism, entitlement, insecurity, self-sabotage, etc. The goal of the song is to get to know yourself and choose your life.
Once you recognize your flaws, they become growth potential. If you can overcome the biggest hurdle in your life; yourself, there’s nothing that can stop you!
You have a say in what you allow in your life, your mind. You control how you react, whether that’s external or internal, as the latter can also manifest in earlier stated characteristics.
“I always describe Enemy as ‘the big sister of Last I See’”. Last I See was a milestone in terms of sound and Enemy really pushed the singer’s boundaries. It’s a true record holder for her. Including the lowest note she ever sung, the highest note, the most hours she’s ever worked on a song and definitely the most tracks!!
It’s also Josephine’s first song to get into an editorial playlist “EQUAL Belgium”
“I remember how badly I wanted to make this song by myself. I nearly quit because of this. I made an agreement with Allison that I would mix this, under her guidance, so I could learn the process.
After facing so many challenges with this song, I’m so happy and proud of the result!”
Vocals (57 tracks)
lead vocals (19)
3 lead tracks part 1
4 lead doubles part 1
1 lead track part 2
4 lead doubles part 2
6 ad lib tracks
1 small intro track
low harmonies (7)
1 main low harmony track
4 double low harmony tracks
2 low harmony ad libs
high harmonies (5)
1 high harmony track
4 high harmony doubles
vocal textures (26)
6 hummed vocal tracks
7 ooh vocal tracks
8 ah vocal tracks
5 chest vocal tracks
Instrumentals (30 tracks)
4 atmosphere tracks
4 synths
4 kicks
3 snares
1 clap
2 wobbles
4 piano tracks
3 string tracks
1 effect track (2 bars)
4 guitar tracks
Origin Story
Enemy started out as a YouTube collaboration between April Keez and Josephine. Both artists had to write a song using the words “resolution, agent and jet”. April wrote a James bond-style song and Josephine wrote Enemy.
“I originally started making Enemy in Garageband, but I eventually got a “system overload” error right when I pressed play, so I couldn’t work on it, until I bought a PC and put Ableton on it. I slowly started bringing everything into Ableton, I kept a lot of the Garageband instruments but I definately added a lot more in Ableton!”
Lyrics
Hey, hey little mold
Time to let go and let this resolve
Been a little down for a while
Guess I don't know where to draw the line
If I could, I'd turn it all around
Staying low so you won't take me out
Hey it's you I need to fear
Cause if I am not careful
I risk you're the end of me
And I wish you could see
What I could be for you
You don't, so I wish you the best of me
Slow down
A secret agent in my mind
Trying to figure it all out
Cause you manipulate it all
I lost control of my jet
Don't feel a thing no more, am I dead
Cause if you've fallen low
You wonder what it takes to break you
Make you into something more
The bitch will be beheaded stir her
boiling blood with broken bones
Hey it's you I need to fear
Cause if I am not careful
I risk you're the end of me
And I wish you could see
What I could be for you
You don't, so I wish you the best of me
Ableton Tracks Overview
The sound of Enemy
Enemy is an empowering anthem, it’s an ethereal alt. rock record that showcases Josephine’s signature sound and musical style with her warm layered vocal harmonies, her dark instrumentation and her candid lyricism.
“I think a lot of people will relate to Enemy, because of the message of taking your power back and not being in the way of your own growth. It’s a sultry, mysterious sounding anthem”
This is the perfect song to just lay down, close your eyes, and step into the song’s universe. Enemy opens up with smooth angelic harmonies and slowly builds up tension to an explosive chorus.
“There’s so much I love about Enemy! I love the vocal chops in the second verse and the bridge gives me goosebumps!"
This is Josephine’s favorite original song to date.
“Enemy has a sexy sultry dark vibe to it and I wanted the artwork to match that”
Meet the phoerictor! This artwork goes hand in hand with the meaning of Enemy and was made by Beanie Draws. The snake part resembles your own negativity constricting you, limiting you, at the final squeeze, you grab control of your thoughts and your mind and the snake turns into a phoenix as you set yourself free!
Listen up.
Thank you for listening to Enemy! Here are some secret audio files I wanted to share with you!
Our gratitude goes to…
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@beaniedraws
Beanie Draws is an amazing artist known for his detailed drawings of dinosaurs, we hired him for the artwork of the phoerictor. Earlier on he created the artwork for I Only Trust Myself.
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Allison Clift-Jennings
Allison is the CTO of Tonic Audio Labs, which we use to collaborate on Josephine’s music, she’s responsible for the mixing and mastering on I Only Trust Myself as well as Bitter Pill and she guided Josephine on mixing Enemy herself.
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Jade Starr
Jade Starr describes herself as a non conforming gender optimized creative disruptor. We couldn’t have said it better. She provided the guitars for Enemy!
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April Keez
April Keez is a singer-songwriter and music teacher. Without her, Enemy wouldn’t exist! As the song started out as a word generator challenge.