Bated Breath

Album: Aquarius (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Tinashe singing of being unsure on whether she should give her love to a guy. He is waiting with bated breath on her deciding whether she is willing to open herself up emotionally to him.
  • When your breath is bated it means that you are waiting for the outcome of something. "Bated" is a shortened form of "abated," so the underlying implication is that your breathing is shortened under the influence of extreme suspense and tension.
  • The song's nine-minute military-inspired video was directed and financed by Tinashe. It was filmed in the Mojave Desert by fashion photographer Stephen Garnett, The singer contacted Garnett directly to work on the clip. "I don't like to sit around waiting for people to do things for me," Tinashe told W Magazine. "So when I know my label's not going to produce music videos, I'll either make them myself or I'll find people that I think are cool and reach out to them directly. I'm like, 'F--k it. I'll just do it.'"
  • The video is composed entirely of a stranded Tinashe running and crawling across the sand dunes in search of refuge. The five hour shoot pushed the singer to her limits: "You have to fix your own hair, there's no catering, and there's no bathroom, but the challenges became benefits in this case, because they made the video a whole lot grungier," she said. "I was incredibly dirty, really dragging myself through the dirt. And it wasn't like I could shower before I had to drive home."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Ed Roland of Collective Soul

Ed Roland of Collective SoulSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.