After spending plenty of time writing about heartbreak and wanting people who don’t want you back, Giselle Kwong is trying something different on her newest song: being happy. The Sydney-based singer-songwriter’s new song captures a moment when years of disappointing relationships suddenly give way to someone who makes love feel surprisingly uncomplicated.
The song begins from a cynical place, with lost faith in dating and a feeling that romance has become closer to a sport than connection. Sweet acoustic guitars give way to melodies and a pulse, mirroring an emotional shift as guardedness gradually turns into excitement. When Giselle keeps returning to the idea that she’s never felt this way before, the repetition feels less like a conventional pop hook and more like someone repeatedly checking that, yes, this is actually happening.
“My previous releases have focused on unrequited love, heartbreak and confusion, ‘This Way’ is the first time I’ve written about hope and certainty instead,” Giselle says. “I wanted to invite listeners into the whirlwind of falling in love, capturing how quickly everything can change when you meet the right person. After years of writing primarily sadder, slower songs, I feel ‘This Way’ reflects the confidence I’ve built in my songwriting and artistry.”
Its deliberately lo-fi approach is a lovely match for a song about allowing yourself to enjoy something without worrying about whether it’s perfect. Giselle describes the song as her expression of love and the footage as her partner’s, which gives this song an especially personal little exchange at its centre. After years of sadder songs, there’s something genuinely refreshing about hearing her arrive here, as the heartbreak hasn’t disappeared from the story — it just makes falling headfirst into something good feel that much sweeter.
