The soundtrack for Drive turned 10 earlier this month, and we’re still feeling its synth-pop tremors pulsating across the electronic- and alt-pop landscapes. The latest to emanate those ultra vibes comes from Nina Nesbitt, who on Friday (September 24) dropped an effervescent new tune called “Life’s A Bitch” that’s anything but. Dubbed “L.A.B.” in case your parents peep your playlist, “Life’s A Bitch” is the perfect follow up to July’s hazy “Summer Fling”, and was co-written by the Scottish artist alongside production duo Jack & Coke, who’ve been at the helm of a pure bop parade with the likes of Charli XCX, Tove Lo, Carly Rae Jepsen, and others.
At its glowing core, “Life’s A Bitch” is really a lovely twirl of retro-synth and magnetic modern pop, all about the highs and lows that come with surviving on the daily. When Nesbitt offers up “I don’t let it get me down / Life’s like a bitch, I hate her but I love her,” well, hey, it’s hard not to relate in a time when good days and bad days have been replaced by good hours and bad hours.
“‘Life’s A Bitch’ is an ‘80s inspired, post-2020, driving-your-car-through-a tunnel-at-night song,” Nesbitt says. “A ‘dancing while crying, and smiling through the tears’ moment. It’s about the unpredictability of life, the ups and downs, being your own worst enemy and your own best friend. The chorus is an empowering mantra for powering through the turbulence of life.”
The accompanying video reflects the back-lit mood, as Nesbitt teams with collaborator and director Wolf James for a vintage Mustang-fueled night drive that’s a metaphor for ignoring your problems, and all the red flag we see along the way, until you realize they don’t disappear into the midnight air. Let the neon warmth of “Life’s a Bitch” and all its shimmering allure guide the way home.
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