Serving up thought-provoking lyrics, stunning visuals, and just the right amount of punch-in-the-gut heartache, Ocean Tisdall is bound to be one of the biggest stars in alt-pop. His recent single ‘White Lies’ is a masterclass in how to make a relatable hit about some of the most personal, difficult things you’ve ever gone through. Not to mention it gives us the ultimate Troye Sivan vibes! Just like Troye, Ocean manages to make harsh emotions feel so sleek over electro-infused beats and with velvety vocals.
And just like us, Ocean turns to music during the hardest moments of his life! ‘White Lies’ was inspired by one of our favorite songs by the one and only Billie Eilish. Can we say relatable?
I remember listening to Billie Eilish’s ‘Ocean Eyes’ for the first time whilst going through my own breakup and being smacked in the face with an overwhelming sense of “F*ck, I relate to these lyrics soo much,” especially because my ex had the most endearing blue eyes, but was a sucker for those white lies. When writing this record, myself and my co-writer Seven just kept saying, “Why did Billie get it so damn right?” And that ended up being the driving lyric that started the whole writing process.
Ocean Tisdall
But that’s not where our love of ‘White Lies’ ends. Ocean just blessed us with a new acoustic version of the song, which reimagines it while letting the vulnerable lyrics become the main focus. It even came with an all-new visualizer, which gives another level to that “heartbreak is pain” vibe as Ocean sings in a hospital bed. Between the vocals and the melancholy atmosphere, it draws us right in from the second we press play. Someone pass the tissues…
And did you catch the connection to the official ‘White Lies’ music video? We’re absolutely blown away by Ocean’s attention to detail and thoughtful ideas.
One thing about me is I am very much a visual creator, and so every song I write automatically has a visual attached to it. It’s my way of seeing/creating things clearly. So it was only natural for myself and Seven (my co-creator) when writing this record, to have already dreamt up the whole storyline. Going from killing my ex in the ‘White Lies’ music video to then being checked in for possible psychiatric problems.
Ocean Tisdall
I know this all sounds extreme but sometimes it really does feel that way! When deep within the toxicity of a relationship, love or that one person can make you feel and do crazy things, that also ends up making you feel insane, questioning your sanity. This is just a creative expression of that very feeling.
We love that Ocean keeps giving us interesting glimpses into his mindset and creativity. It proves just how dimensional he is as an artist, and we can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve! Which version of ‘White Lies’ do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OCEAN TISDALL:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
