With the upcoming third season of Love, Victor and the release of the new song “THE LOVE WAS REAL,” 2022 has no doubt shaped up to be Michael Cimino’s year. The highly anticipated single, released on May 20th, gives fans a view into Cimino’s personal life and inner feelings as he reminisces about a past relationship. The song starts off with a single synth beat that repeats and builds up as the chorus approaches, with Cimino coming in and singing the lyrics, “now that you ain’t mine, I don’t regret that I had known you.” The song establishes itself as an emotional and honest reflection on the complicated feelings that arise from a breakup just from this starting line.
The music video for “THE LOVE WAS REAL” also doesn’t shy away from expressing the complicated feelings conveyed in the lyrics. Many of the shots in the video are fast paced, with flashing colors and quickly moving figures, which gets across the chaotic, emotional state of mind that usually comes about post-breakup. The song almost reads like a story with its rising action, as Cimino loudly sings the lyric, “couldn’t take you back now, baby, I can’t take you back now, but the love was real,” as the synth, bass, guitar, and drums all join together in a musical crescendo.
While “THE LOVE WAS REAL” feels intimate and relatable as a whole, the deeply personal nature of the song seems to be most present in the bridge, which has Cimino repeating the lyric “I love you” for a few bars. We also hear him yelling and whispering different things interspersed throughout this part of the song. The contrast between the shouting and Cimino’s smooth voice feels particularly jarring in the best way possible, as it, again, gives clear insight into the tumultuous emotions that are pretty universal to the breakup experience. This climactic bridge paired with the first-rate guitar solo and musical breakdown that carry through to the end of the song leaves you with chills every time.
