by Rina Lee
Freudian album cover/back. Photos courtesy of: Genius
H.E.R brings a sense of femininity and light to this album. Her tone contrasts and brings out the best of both artists’ angelic voices. Lyrically, Caesar and H.E.R emphasize a spiritual bond that will never pass on, both personally and emotionally.
In Freudian, he recounts his relationship in a series of phases, and evokes the personal commitment and appreciation he’d held for his significant other at the time. Starting tracks such as “Get You” and “Best Part” begin with experiences of love, excitement, and anticipation for the unknown together. Caesar and H.E.R’s vocal and spiritual harmony raise a sense of hope and a flourishing connection.
“‘I know you’re a star
Where you go I’ll follow
No matter how far
If life is a movie
Know you’re the best part’“
He compares his past significant other to the North Star, which holds a constant position in the sky. It is a navigational aid to wherever you want to go in this world, ergo grasping Caesar’s intentions with this line. All stars rotate around the North Star, suggesting that she, at once the unanimous female partner, and Caesar’s own lover herself, is a grounding presence in his life. Caesar implies that this girl is the “...brightest and most significant figure in this universe, and he is reliant on her to get through the obstacles of life”. Thus, the North Star analogy feels deeply rooted to Caesar’s relationship.
Soon, stages of euphoric ecstasy, honeymoon bliss, and comfortable familiarity start to fade. The fire between the couple gradually dies off, and eventually, Caesar desperately pleads for another chance to regain that spark in “Neu Roses.” These experiences shift the ambiance of their relationship’s progression, which is evident in the midline tracks of this release.
Eventually, Caesar comes to understand and recognize the anguish and reflection necessary for him to separate from his partner. Caesar later questions why he kept something going on for so long that wasn’t even real—or wasn’t real anymore. In “Loose,” he acknowledges that he and his girlfriend weren’t meant to stay together, bringing himself to cut her loose from their relationship. Slowly, he comes to terms with acceptance and undergoes the self-reflection that finally releases him from his grief.
“‘You better cut that girl loose
What are you, a coward?
Who are you helping?’“
Photo courtesy of: Twitter
“‘I knew you were the girl of my dreams,
But we could never be’“
But we could never be’“
Eventually, Caesar experiences a period of insight and wisdom, as he accepts the inevitability of heartbreak and the cycle of love. Caesar’s newfound maturity spurs his familiarity with himself and his vulnerabilities, cognizant in “Blessed,” as he communicates, “Yes I’m a mess / But I’m blessed to be stuck with you.” “He fears that these insecurities may be used against him in a relationship, but he allows himself to proudly admit his emotional dependence and enduring love for his partner.”
Caesar concludes the album with the grand production of “Freudian,” the title track of the whole project. Here, he finally admits that he was at fault for his mistakes, “...but that he still wishes his old love well and thanks her for saving his life.”
“‘I just want to thank you for saving my life, Yes
I just want to thank you for all your advice
You are the reason, the reason I’m alive’“
Photo courtesy of: Genius
Caesar told The FADER, “I’ve never been as proud about anything I’ve created in my whole life. This body of work is about examining my most complex feelings and thoughts more directly. I’m more exposed than ever on this album. It’s like I’m in therapy, but it’s on display. And I got to make this with my friends. It’s just us, no label, so it makes it that much more special.”
Photo courtesy of: Genius
Freudian’s album cover was taken at the Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria, a large monument built on the plateau above the city of Shumen, Bulgaria.
Caesar released the single, Japanese Denim, on October 21, 2016. The track is smooth, heartfelt, personal, engulfing, and warm. His tone invigoratingly climaxes, and personally, I saw a clearer vision of a sunset when I listened to it. It was released as the B-side to the hit single “Get You," which is not on Freudian, but is notably worth mentioning and listening to.
What is Japanese denim and why is it important to this track?
“Why is Japanese denim considered the best? High-quality Japanese denim is considered the best because it's woven on old shuttle looms and made using premium fabrics and natural indigo dyes. The result is often raw selvedge denim, which delivers unique colour, texture, and appearance.”
According to Genius annotations, “The main idea of ‘Japanese Denim’ is the comparison of Daniel’s feeling of everlasting love to a pair of jeans that last a lifetime.”
“Caesar compares this relationship to selvedge denim, a type of jeans fabric that can literally last a lifetime, due to the way it’s woven. Japanese mills are notorious for having the best craftsmanship when it comes to making selvedge (which is the reasoning behind this track’s title.) Caesar believes that the amount of effort he is putting into this relationship is akin to the effort put in by Japanese workers to make selvedge denim, and thus the relationship should last forever.”
Motifs of passion, motivation, love, endurance, and timing unite both the album Freudian, as well as the single Japanese Denim.
Pilgrim’s Paradise album cover. Photo courtesy of: Genius
“On the EP Pilgrim’s Paradise, Daniel is falling. On Freudian, he is climbing up”. Genius explains three main elements to the cover art of Pilgrim’s Paradise, another piece of Caesar’s that is important to understanding his intentions:
- The Light - Associated with Heaven or God, but seems like a gap between two surfaces. “Access to the light is either closing or narrow (it is also very high up considering Daniel’s height), meaning that it is hard to get to, get through, or find the light.”
- Daniel’s Clothes - All white (traditionally thought to be worn in Heaven), but his pants are rolled up at the ankles, potentially exposing more than is traditional with promiscuity.
- His Falling - “One would understand this to be Daniel’s loss of God. However, what is significant is the position at which he’s falling. He is not falling face first as if he willingly jumped from the light, he’s falling from his back as if he’s been pushed from the light. This alludes to not Daniel forsaking the light, but the other way around, hence the closing of it’s access.”
The chorus of “We Find Love” in Freudian states, “We find love, we get up / Then we fall down, we give up,” as the last line of the bridge says, “Heaven help us, heaven help us, yeah / We’re on our own.” This indicates Caesar’s struggle to find a good way out of his pain as he begs himself and God to rescue him from his despair.
Case Study 01 album cover. Photo courtesy of: Genius
Clearly, Caesar had realizations of his own. In Case Study 01, his most recent album released in 2019, the cover represents him as a featureless shadow figure. Does this mean he is gradually losing himself? How does he perceive himself with this perspective? Did he lose his sense of self after his breakup?
The third track in Case Study 01 features Brandy, with the title “LOVE AGAIN.” The sixth track in Freudian is “We Find Love.” It seems as though he lost his sight for love, then it potentially resurfaced. Evidently, Caesar’s album titles intertwine and hold connected truths.AUTHOR’S THOUGHT
This album, Freudian, hits close to home for me. I discovered Caesar’s work a couple of years back when my personal life felt out of orbit. His voice, style, lyrics, motivation, and heart-to-heart passion are what drew me closer to this album in particular. This project feels extremely personal to Caesar, and I could sense this as I listened to Freudian on repeat from car rides to the speakers in my room. I also wondered if Freudian was inspired by Sigmund Freud, the Austrian neurologist. I’m curious to find out what his angle was.
Honestly, I fell in love with Caesar’s work the first time I heard “Blessed” and “LOVE AGAIN” from his 2019 album, Case Study 01. It felt like a bandaid over the newly formed wound in my heart after leaving my brother at his dorm for his first year of college. I remember this being sometime around August 2019, in Bloomington, Indiana. I was leaving his dorm complex with our final goodbyes and nothing but my phone and pillow for the 14-hour car ride home. I reminisce on that day often. I remember making our way back to the East Coast, experiencing the emptiness of the first bird out of the nest, gentle tears every now and then, and gradually learning to become more independent as a young 13 year old. It was indescribably painful, but I truly owe a majority of my healing processes to Daniel Caesar over these last few years. I love you Brandon. I’ll see you this summer.
The development of Caesar’s experiences are truly raw and wholehearted. Exposed, Freudian maintains the consistent theme of reaching out to convey his tribulations to the public. His debut album definitely warrants your appreciation. These 44 minutes and 51 seconds depict a rich story worth telling.
Listen to Daniel Caesar’s Freudian here
Sources
- Freudian by Daniel Caesar. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://genius.com/albums/Daniel-caesar/Freudian
- Pilgrim's Paradise by Daniel Caesar. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://genius.com/albums/Daniel-caesar/Pilgrims-paradise
- Daniel Caesar (Ft. H.E.R.) – Best Part. (2017, August 25). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Daniel-caesar-best-part-lyrics
- Daniel Caesar – Loose. (2017, August 25). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Daniel-caesar-loose-lyrics
- Daniel Caesar – We Find Love. (2017, June 09). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Daniel-caesar-we-find-love-lyrics
- Daniel Caesar – Blessed. (2017, June 09). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Daniel-caesar-blessed-lyrics
- Daniel Caesar – Freudian. (2017, August 25). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Daniel-caesar-freudian-lyrics
- Daniel Caesar – Japanese Denim. (2016, October 19). Retrieved from https://genius.com/Daniel-caesar-japanese-denim-lyrics
- 14 Best Japanese Denim Brands. (2020, March 11). Retrieved from https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-fashion-trends/best-japanese-denim-brands
- Sijelmassi, M. (2017, September 28). Blog. Retrieved from http://wrvu.org/the-complexities-of-love-as-displayed-by-daniel-caesars-freudian/