When conditions are just right, wildflowers in parts of California will burst into colours so vivid and widespread that the effects are visible from space.
It’s called a “super bloom,” and there’s been a spectacular one this year. The first months of 2023 saw so much rain – more than in all of 2022 – that local wildflowers, including poppies, sunflowers, desert lilies, and many others, all bloomed brilliantly and simultaneously.
The phenomenon requires more than just rain, however: it will only happen if it is preceded by a period of significant drought.
I like this for a few reasons. First, it’s refreshing to hear California experiencing a weather-based event that isn’t tragic. Second, it’s a nice bit of natural-world symbolism that can be encouraging during tough times. It’s like the “after the rain comes the rainbow” metaphor, but taken to the next level. When going through a personal “drought” of any kind (creative, financial, emotional) it’s reassuring to know that around the corner there might be a stroke of luck so great that your creative or financial or emotional rebound will be visible from space.
New York-based group MisterWives took inspiration from this idea in the creation of their catchy, ultra-mood-boosting 2020 song Superbloom.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The first time I heard this song it was over the tiny speakers of a phone, so all I could make out of the piano was that each bar had three syncopated chords. It wasn’t until I listened on proper speakers that the crunchy funky jazziness of those chords came across in full bloom.
2. The chorus is a big old singalong party that gets bigger each time it returns: multiple voices, horns, and a tambourine for good measure.
3. Whether you’re currently experiencing a drought or a downpour, the lyric “I came out the other side” will still be in your head long after you stop listening.
Recommended listening activity:
Looking really closely at the blossom of a flower.