Southern California's rising musical theatre talent, Amanda Fagan, releases her latest single, "Catalina Island," an honest look at the gray areas of love. Unlike most love songs that bask in heartbreak and pining from the perspective of the scorned over unrequited love, Fagan flips the script, giving voice to the one who has feelings but cannot instruct themselves to commit. It's a rare and brave attempt to explore emotional nuance, a love song, essentially, from someone when the moment has passed, but who can still sing it.
The lyrics are intimate and nothing short of perfect. The lyrics capture the bittersweet, twisted complexity of someone caught between loving someone and the limitations of their own heart. However, Fagan's decision to keep her message squeaky-clean enables the song to connect with a broad audience, opting for emotional clarity over shock value. In a musical world where too often everything is overdone, pushed to the edge of passion or pain, "Catalina Island" appreciates restraint, appreciates honesty.
The song is a result of Fagan's history as a musical theater major. Her way with a lyric is apparent in every note, each melodic phrase gently coaxing the listener through the fragile balance of wanting and restraint. There is a striking quality to her delivery, an intimate stage presence that feels as if you're sharing a quiet moment set in bright sunlight. It's a testament to her training and her natural ability to inhabit a character, even within the intimate confines of a pop love song.
The emotional power of "Catalina Island" lies not just in the lyrics but in their sentiment. We've all been on both sides of love, the pining and the resisting. Fagan's song acknowledges the pain of not being capable of complete reciprocal feeling, and does so while also lending empathy to those on the receiving end. It's a tricky tightrope to walk, and Fagan does so with ease, inviting listeners to sit down and experience the discomfort, beauty, and honesty of human feeling.