LA is known for its lack of rain. On Ash Leone’s new song, “LA Rain” she compares the inconsistent behavior of a potential partner to the absence of rain in Los Angeles, while the music video takes us to the desert, offering that much more symbolism.
As the track starts we hear piano that’s been slightly distorted, providing a melancholic tone to an otherwise upbeat R&B-pop song. Leone’s vocal comes in almost like a piercing knife, both in her precision and clarity, while we watch as different shots take her from what looks like the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, to the desert. She sings, “Got tequila on the counter / To counteract what’s going on / Going on, going on / Got my back against the wall / It ain’t you I can lean on,” letting us in on the lack of love and support that exists within this supposed relationship.
As we reach the chorus, we arrive at the central metaphor of the song. Comparing the number of good days in a relationship to how much it rains in LA, lets us in on the level of frustration that Leone seems to feeling, which is only furthered by the synthesized percussion choices, and the edge that her tonal quality has at certain points. As we watch her in the desert, the symbolism really shines through as she’s in a place that receive little to no rain. There are also moments in the desert in which she’s looking into a mirror, almost as if to symbolize the relationship being reflected back to her, so she can see it for what it really is.
As we move into the second verse she seems to have a more definitive standpoint as she sings, “I’m not gonna beg for your attention (Attention) / Sure as hell won’t beg for your affection, no.” Though Leone seems to be grappling with her own delusions of love in “LA Rain,” the song provides support for those that have been excusing bad behavior for rationed love, letting them know that they’re worth more.
Connect with Ash Leone: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
