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Daya Releases “Safe” and Asks Fans to Articulate What Safe Means to Them

Electro-pop rising star Daya just released her new track “Safe.” Dreamy synths and lush vocals belie lyrics that confront a lingering or background fear.

She sings “Closed hearts make closed minds/ I won’t tell you it’s all butterflies and roses/ We’re not back in time.” I’d say at 19 the singer is a little young to be singing about going back to yesteryear, but who isn’t jaded, living as we are in a time of constant political terrorism.

On the lyrics and inspiration behind the track, Daya reflects: “‘Safe’ was written the day after the Vegas shooting. I felt powerless and lost trying to come to terms with the senselessness of it. The song draws on the feelings of safety / invincibility that I experienced during my early childhood, where the only big horror stories were well-crafted movies or books of fiction. But there are always antagonists in society trying to build their own real-life horror stories, and now these stories increasingly seem to be happening in traditionally safe spaces like schools and festivals. We’re being forced to confront – at younger and younger ages – the proximity of evil and how easily it could affect us or someone we love. The song explores that childhood illusion of safety and how I wish I could wrap a blanket of safety around myself and the people I love.”

With this release, Daya posted on social media with the hashtag #SafeIs, asking fans to create a conversation about what makes us feel safe. On Instagram, Daya’s girlfriend (who is featured in the video) is featured as one of the things that defines the word “safe” for her.

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