Folkie Francesca Blanchard Recalls a Past Love on “Happy For You” (premiere)

Many of us understand the feeling of coming across a past love and recalling all that has come to be associated with them. Few, however, are able to transcribe the complexity of these emotions into song as eloquently as Francesca Blanchard. She delivers “Happy For You” with a melancholic lilt, full of bittersweet anger bubbling beneath the surface of a serene veneer. The song ebbs and flows as Blanchard navigates its emotive field, culminating in a powerful crescendo of sifting strings as it comes in towards its close. Her music video accompaniment for the piece accentuates these same movements—a reflective snapshot of a vulnerable, turbulent heart.

Blanchard first made her mark in 2015 with her the bilingual folk of her debut album, Deux Visions. “Happy For You” features on her latest work, the upcoming LP Make It Better. Due to drop on 12 June, Make It Better leans into elements of atmospheric indie pop while retaining some of the atmospheric folk stylings that she’s come to be known for.

“The song is about choosing to be happy for someone who is happier without you,” says Blanchard. “To me, it feels like walking on eggshells, like trying to salvage the remaining pieces of a broken relationship while making as little noise as possible. It’s a submission to grief, and there is something so fragile in that.”

“I’d always wanted the video to be simple and intimate, but wasn’t sure how to accomplish that. Staying home has forced me to work within my means and use only my immediate resources, which has been really inspiring. I dug up my mom’s old camcorder from the basement and began filming what the song makes me feel. It’s funny, how something as simple as washing your hands or pouring cream into your coffee can break your heart all over again.”