The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making us think we have time. Whether it be for ourselves, our passions, or the under-appreciated trifecta of friends, lovers, and family, we often barrel through life with plans just hanging in the distance, perfectly in view but never within reach. And then, as time marches on, those plans fade into the rearview and hover like a specter of regret that rarely teaches us the life lessons it should. It’s always up to us to break the cycle.
On the sanguine “Lost Years,” the new single from Puma June, the project of Toronto singer-songwriter Shanti Abbott, those feelings dance around a melancholic alt-R&B twirl that understands missteps of the past but also yearns optimistically for a better future.
“‘Lost Years’ is a song about my moment of reflection and realization: Feeling the weight of aging and losing time to pursue my dreams, but finding the motivation and strength to reach higher and create a future that I can be proud of,” says Abbott. “It’s about reaching beyond the stifling nature of the conventional. Pursuing music has been a lifelong aspiration, but I have been fearful of sacrificing the stability that comes with a more traditional career path. Like many aspiring artists, I’ve spent my life being told to take the ‘safe’ route and prioritize material comfort and surer avenues to ‘success’.”
Abbott wrote “Lost Years” in early 2020, during the early days of the pandemic and her first working as a registered nurse. Of course, the track has taken on a larger meaning in the days since, and it stands as a striking debut solo effort from the songwriter.
“When I started writing, I didn’t consider the relevance of the pandemic and its parallels with my message,” she adds. “‘Lost Years’ is more relatable now than ever, inspired by the concept of being caught between where you are and where you want to be. It’s never too late for them to create the life they want.”
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