it was supposed to be us by EXES

Have you ever been in love? Most of us have, to some degree, or maybe, you’re still in it. Regardless of current relational status, a lot of people have experienced the warm rush of emotion and affection towards their partner, the desire to spend time with another person as often as you can, and the confident certainty that this person is the one.

But then something changes. And the next thing you know, you’re sitting alone wondering what happened because the person who was supposed to be your forever person is now gone.

EXES captures this feeling perfectly through their song “it was supposed to be us” which brings the listener along with the singer as they reflect on the best love they’ve had and wishing they could have it back.

A background of guitar and piano dominating the other music creates a soft, nostalgic sound that pairs with the melancholic emotion of EXES’s voice. The singer watches her friends all finding true love and getting married, while she is left to wonder how she can find that for herself since her significant other has left as she sings “I don’t wanna meet anyone/it was supposed to be us”.

The next line captures a feeling that most people have experienced after a breakup “What if I can’t readjust/What if I don’t even want to/If it’s not you I give up/It was supposed to be us”. There is always a fear after you have known real love and lost it that you will never be able to find something quite as amazing as what you had. And to some degree, you’re not even sure you want to, especially when you’re still convinced this person is who you were ultimately meant to be with.

While EXES’s song doesn’t have a set moment where the singer suddenly has a breakthrough and moves on, it does end with the singer’s voice fading into the music as the sound of fireworks is heard, which creates the sense that the story is not over. Just because the singer is upset and misses their ex now, realistically they know they will eventually move on. And that’s how real life is. As much as we wish we could take a brief moment to be sad then bounce back immediately, we can’t. Love is a powerful emotion that can take us to high places. But losing that same love can take us down just as much. And when that happens (if it happens) it’s important to remember that you’re allowed to be upset about what you lost and wonder about what could have been. Because only then will you actually be able to heal.