ALLYSE. fifth single, “Better Than You” is an upbeat summer love song that celebrates a newfound love and the refreshing sense of stability it brings. The backdrop of the song was influenced by the frequent travel and transience that defined the first two decades of ALLYSE’s life. Growing up in a military household, she moved to a new country or US state every couple of years and led a filled with constant change, adventure, and uncertainty.
The song opens with an optimistic bounce of synths and snaps, as she reflects on her past outlook: “eyes on the horizon, never on the ground…I was a sweet escape artist.” ALLYSE. has her head in the clouds literally and figuratively, jet-setting from one location to another. While it sounds fabulous, the lyrics indicate that the reality of her travels isn’t all just passports and palm trees. Acclimating to constant change has also made her flightly and just a little too good a goodbyes. That is, until she finds the love that changes everything.
The beat picks up and the vocals swell into the chorus as she sings about meeting her love. The thrill of being a “sweet escape artist” she sings about in verse 1 pales in comparison to the joy she finds in the stability of her new relationship. She sings “Nowhere is better than you,” speaking directly to its subject like a love letter that has bubbled over into a chorus. Not only does the bouncy repetition of “you” create an infectious hook, but it also emphasizes the new focus of the song and of ALLYSE’s story – she’s no longer just focusing on herself and her travels but on her love.
Verse 2 enters with a bold new sense of purpose and resolve, ALLYSE. confidently declares “You’re my destination.” In contrast to the “I” statements characterizing Verse 1, the focus of Verse 2 shifts to mostly “You” statements that mirror her mindet shift. This verse paints a picture of love in vivid metaphors, comparing her love to the feeling of “a cool spring,” “salt on my rim,” and a “mountaintop view after a hike.”
