[Update] ‘You Don’t Have To Try So Hard’ By Colbie Caillat Is A Powerful Positive Message That Skillfully Shatters Undue Expectations From Women
Expectations from women around the globe are rising to dangerous levels. Not only are they expected to look perfect all the time, but they have to perform at their peak. If that’s not all, their performance is seldom rewarded as gender inequality is a painful existent problem in the United States.
Colbie Caillat is an exceptional singer. Despite having been ignored by American Idol twice, the performer has risen incredibly and has sung at many an illustrious event. The singing star is by no means a dull face. She, in fact, can be considered as an epitome of the all-American California girl with her sun-kissed complexion and long, blonde hair. However, even the likes of Colbie has strongly felt that society, at large, puts a lot of undue pressure on females to look good, always eat right, and wear make-up all the time, in order to be accepted.
Colbie clearly appears to be tired and sick of the unrealistic expectations placed on women to always look a certain way, reported News. The situation only further deteriorates owing to the excessive usage of image manipulation software like Photoshop to air-brush the images and eliminate all the “flaws” or “imperfections.” In other words, the singer decided she couldn’t take any of the attempts at changing the physical appearance of females just for the sake of the society
.@ColbieCaillat is tired of being Photoshopped. Here's what she's doing about it: http://t.co/P5DMhyeCRQ pic.twitter.com/a7pnl2zMXg
— ELLE Magazine (US) (@ELLEmagazine) July 10, 2014
In her new single Try from the album Gypsy Heart, 29-year-old Colbie Caillat takes a much needed and strong stand against the so-called quest for perfection, reported Daily Mail. She strongly encourages women of all ages to lovingly embrace what they are born with. The visually impactful video shows the women slowly peeling away or wiping off layers of make-up in front of the camera.
The video, which has already started to go viral around the interwebs, puts for a very compelling argument through the lyrics and imagery. A number of girls and women, all made-up to the hilt, sing along to such powerful words like, “When you’re all alone by yourself, do you like you?”
The women then slowly proceed to revert back to their natural states as they wipe off the lipstick, the foundation, the mascara and eyeliner. Even the lead singer takes part in the reversal process, going from a very glamorous version of her to a stripped bare one. However, those who bother to focus on the lyrics and the song will find her bare face even more radiant and beautiful.
The strength of the song and the video lies in the expressions of the women, when the impact and façade of the make-up disappears. The beauty of their faces is quantified by the smile that was born out of the feeling of liberation from the shackles of the society.
The song is essentially a heartfelt attempt at urging women to stop trying so hard to win the approval of the society by applying layers of make-up. The video essentally helps explain the concept of inner beauty.
Update: Here are the lyrics of the song:
Put your make-up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim so they like you, do they like you?
Get your sexy on
Don’t be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong, so they like you
Do you like you?
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards
You don’t have to choose, buy it all, so they like you
Do they like you?
Wait a second,
Why should you care, what they think of you
When you’re all alone, by yourself, do you like you?
Do you like you?
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
You don’t have to try, try, try, try
Take your make up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don’t you like you?
Cause I like you
[Image Credit | Universal Republic, YouTube]
