If you’ve ever seen a tiny stream empty into a lake on a sandy beach, you’ve seen the beautiful patterns it imprints into the sand. Flowing braids sculpted by the current as the water does what it does.
Zoom out.
If you’ve ever been in a plane and looked below to see a huge river empty into an ocean, you’ve seen those same patterns in a river delta whose width is enough to be measured in kilometres, as the water continues to do what it does, just on a larger scale.
Zoom in to see the swirl of the water as it drains out of your bathtub; zoom out to see the rotation of a hurricane over the ocean; zoom out still further to see the rotation of our galaxy as it spins through the universe.
The way nature does one thing is the way it does everything.
And the same goes for you: the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
If you’re on time for the little things, you’ll never run late for the big things. If you’re in the habit of giving your best effort on the things that don’t seem important, then you’ll be ready to give your best when it matters most. If you’re in the habit of lifting up others with kindness, then when someone really needs a boost, you’ll know exactly what to say. If you do the right thing when nobody’s watching, then you’ll succeed when all eyes are on you.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The way SZA sometimes sings just behind the beat, as if she’s as unconcerned by the song’s meter as she is by the time of the day.
2. The percussion is completely dry while the guitar drips with reverb. This contrast makes the song feel like both a memory and immediately present.
3. It features backup vocals by (and was co-written by) the artist we featured this time last year.
Recommended listening activity:
Sitting right where something tall meets the ground.