the suburbs (pt. 15)

culture war // arcade fire

and so we have the final part of the suburbs (finally).

when i first started writing this series, i don’t think i realized how introspective i would have to be to write it, and i definitely don’t think i realized that it would turn into something completely different from my original intentions. now, i’m not entirely sure what my original intentions were, but they certainly weren’t ending up admitting that getting away from home isn’t always what you want it to be.

now, don’t get me wrong; i love msa a whole whole lot, but it’s not the home i wanted it to be. it’s a new place i have to find myself in, and that’s okay.

as a writer, the feelings of home and belonging have always been topics that i’ve wanted to write about. i love the idea of home being something that you have to feel rather than a place that you live in, and i’m sure that doesn’t go unnoticed in some of my pieces. at the same time, i’m also an innately nostalgic human being, and i write about that a lot as well. i love reminiscence and memories, and i love the writing that can come out of remembering.

the idea of suburbia being a feeling like home is to me came from when i first had the idea to write this series. i had just downloaded arcade fire’s entire discography, and i fell in love with “sprawl II”(i don’t think there was a single day in september i didn’t listen to that song AT LEAST twice). so i started to write a blog about it, and the idea for this series came to be.

if you haven’t noticed, each part of this series is paired with a song (or two). each part of this series is based in chronological order on arcade fire’s album, the suburbs. i tried writing for “sprawl II” and didn’t get very far, but i knew i still wanted to work on this idea of my life in a suburban small town. then i remembered this little song called “suburbia” by troye sivan (yes claire i listen to troye), and i knew what i wanted to do. i knew i wanted to capture the distinctions i have between living in the suburbs as a concrete location versus growing up in suburbia as an abstract state of mind.

so, i wrote it. and i’m pretty proud of it if you ask me. i wanted to write about where i’m from, and i wanted to write about how where i’m from has affected me. i wrote about the suburbs, and i learned that maybe my home isn’t as bad as i’d made it out to be.

and with that, i highly recommend that you all go listen to this beautiful album (i’ll be waiting here for you to tell me if you like it), and i hope you enjoyed the suburbs.

Author: Madison Cox

madison: known for being very loud and very short and also a little sad. finally embraced her inner hipster. typically can be found listening to music or writing something. very fond of sweaters, hugs, and chucks. thinks capital letters are overrated. enjoys typing like a child but speaking like an adult. really wants to write books one day.