The song I will be discussing is “If I Killed someone For You” by Alec Benjamin.

Alec is a 29-year-old American singer that is known for his pop songs with a soothing singing voice and interesting aspects to his lyrics as well as catchy guitar melodies. As you listen to his songs, they unravel to tell a story. Alec’s music is very calming to listen to. The melodies are soft, and his singing is almost as if he’s just speaking. He’s not the typical pop artist with loud beats and mass appeal but he does have a catchy rhythm and very memorable lyrics. For this specific song it has a heartfelt meaning of someone changing themself completely and “killing” their old self to better accommodate and be loved by someone.

Move one: I think the most interesting part of this song is that he doesn’t reveal that the person he “killed” was himself until the last portion of the song. First time listeners were very shocked with the way the song started. It made you question what he meant by the lyrics till the story of the song unraveled and we learned the truth behind his words. It’s an extreme way to start a song and with no context the title can be alarming but the overall message of the song is about unconditional love for a person and how we can change ourselves just to be what someone else wants us to be.

Move two: The beginning verse is what stands out the most. It sounds like a confession to a serious crime and their explanation for why they did “it”. This was such a shocking way to start a calm and lyrical song and caught many listeners by surprise.

Move three: The chorus shows repetition as he questions over and over if the person, he unconditionally loves would love him. The chorus says, “Would you love me more If I killed someone for you?”. He questions the person he loves to assure himself that what he did had a purpose and tries to excuse what he did with probable cause. Alec himself explains the chorus as changing yourself so much to the point that it’s no longer likable for that person either.

Move four: Those details combined to express this story present the heartbreaking truth that changing yourself for someone else isn’t worth it. No matter how much we love a person they may not love us back and altering yourself to fit their standards ends up hurting you more than them. 

Move five: The question that sticks with me is “would you love me more”. It’s sad to think that people feel like they need to prove themself to someone in order to receive the bare minimum amount of love.