What If, Could Be | teasea

"What If, Could Be"
teasea's New Hazy Single & Visualizer

“What If, Could Be”

Written by Britnee Meiser(she/her)

teasea’s new single, “What If, Could Be,” begins in pieces: the buzz of an amp, a quick drum beat, feedback that melts into the background. All of a sudden, the sound swells into melody. Groovy percussion, hypnotic guitars, and spacey synths feel like dancing through a dream. It’s nostalgic, hopeful, ruminative. The parts become whole–become one–and in doing so, they create something more powerful and evocative than they ever could on their own.

This is the message at the heart of “What If, Could Be.” It’s a song about connection, both physical and spiritual. A chance to choose each other when so much of the world feels fractured with fear and grief. It might seem arbitrary, one song in the face of catastrophe, but I think teasea said it best in a recent Instagram post: music is a place for healing. When we feel lost, where do we turn, if not the art that reminds us we’re alive?

“What If, Could Be” | teasea | Animated Visualizer by Dan Criblez | Ambient Pasta Productions

In that sense, “What If, Could Be” is arriving at just the right time. It’s a song that encourages us to be present and connected, instead of afraid. A song that reminds us of our humanity, and what we owe each other. This rings true from the opening lines: “How could we lose touch with it all? Is it cuz we feel small?” If you feel intimidated by the five-and-a-half minute run-time, don’t be. The breezy melody will put you in a flow state. As I listened for the first time, all the tension left my body and I felt something inexplicable: Gratitude. I realized my feelings were valid. I wasn’t alone. In fact, just the opposite–I was part of something bigger. How amazing, that one song could make me feel so much.

Maybe that’s because “What If, Could Be” is more than just a song. It’s a meditation, from an artist with an acute ability to capture such a thing (teasea has recorded several ambient albums, including 2020’s Chamomile, which I’ve been writing to for years). The slow build to cathartic release, followed by a minute-long cool-down outro, is a structure that encourages you to feel all of, and then linger in, your feelings. It will lift up your heavy heart.

If you’re anything like me–which is to say, if you’re human–then this song will be exactly what you need. It feels, in many ways, like a declaration of love–for art, for life, and for each other. A reminder that, for all the bad in the world, goodness will prevail. Life will go on amidst the chaos. Love will endure.

“What If, Could Be” is the second track off teasea’s upcoming record that will drop next year. Listen now, and be sure to check out the accompanying animated visualizer by his brother, Dan Criblez through Ambient Pasta Productions.