Parasocial Promise - original song | dodie

[@professorquinsonsnib]

this is like All My Daughters’ less emo twin

[@prishaa_music]

yes ❤

[@veerle27]

“less emo” HAHA YES.

[@mollyfsm]

and all my daughters was ‘burned out’ s child

[@professorquinsonsnib]

@@mollyfsm exactly what i thought when i heard it LOL

[@randomgirl2173]

I mean that explains why it has so quickly been added to my "plays on repeat" list. Burned Out and All of My Daughters have always been on it.

[@natattacc99]

This almost feels like a sequel to Burned Out, but this time the narrator is speaking to the audience and it sounds like it's coming from a much calmer, grounded place, like- "admire me and my art, fine, but don't idolize me/put me on a pedestal" 🙌🏼 fucking banger bitch 🥺

[@drama_doctor]

What I'm hearing: Don't meet your heroes. Admire without expectation. Imagine harmlessly. Also- another incredible song. From, just a fan x

[@doddleoddle]

luv ♥

[@randomgirl2173]

*from just a fan.. who got a reply from dodie. That's kinda ironic but also very cute 😉

[@drama_doctor]

@@randomgirl2173 it FEELS cute😂✨

[@raspberrytaegi]

Idk, I think it's alright to meet them (as long as they, y'know, consent)

[@kaznova_]

@@raspberrytaegi its a common saying to never meet ur idols bc it ruins the fan worship part, esp if theyre not exactly like a person imagined (or maybe im wrong, this is what ive always thought!)

[@dalailarose1596]

Me singing along "It's better to just be a cat"

[@doddleoddle]

hahahah

[@johnwaffles9972]

EVERYBODY EVERYBODY WANTS TO BEEEEEEE A CAT "aristocats" yeeeee

[@daniellejay5817]

It’s so weird growing up and going from, “if we just met, we’d be best friends! We’re so much alike!” and essentially basing your whole personality off what you think this one person is like to, “yea, I like the stuff this human makes! Pretty neato!” It’s a nice little reminder to ground yourself and just enjoy stuff for the sake of it

[@segamble1679]

"Pretty neato!"💕 gotta use this today.

[@luisabolado]

holy shit this is SO accurate

[@elenyaellis]

i wish 14 year old fangirl me would have been able to process that parasociality is kinda shit. lol thanks for making me remember my good ol' cringy times haha

[@doddleoddle]

literally same! i feel like you can't really understand it until u age a lil

[@onlyonekoa24]

@@doddleoddle lolll I needed this a year ago for me about you because I was litterally willing to take a bullet for you and smile before I was shot lmao (still would take a bullet, just not smile lol

[@elizee7209]

this is clearly about a very specific situation and i’m curious to see what it’s about!!! i love this song and the cat

[@doddleoddle]

i willlll say it's sort of a mixture of experiences and thoughts not one specific thing teeheee

[@doddleoddle]

but i also love the cat

[@mrrandomperson3106]

@@doddleoddle We all love the cat.

[@segamble1679]

I thought the mic in the main frame was an animal, but then it never moved, unless there's something about the cat we don't know...

[@kathleenhancock142]

my assumption was immediately charlieissocoollike as I was listening....so I went and looked up those duets to listen to

[@kalindabittner]

As someone who is currently getting overly obsessed with a celebrity--it felt like you made this specifically for me. I've been Called Out! Thank you for the message, and the little wake up call

[@tryingnot2bdumb]

sameee

[@anyanaylor]

Ok but I love a non-obsessive parasocial relationship. Like, yes, you are my comfort KZbinr who I put on when I'm falling asleep and we will never interact but I still love you and that's totally okay.

[@luisabolado]

thissss

[@randomgirl2173]

There is a certain peacefulness that this song brings to me. My mind feels just that little bit lighter.

[@coznow]

Nothing is harsher than realizing the complexity of your favorite human. I admit I'm guilty of this, but honestly who isn't? ALWAYS a pleasure to see the mighty Mrs

[@spence98]

i love thinking about trying to be friends with your idol in the framing of what if you don't actually like them that much and don't want to be around them rather than scared if they're gonna like you lol

[@doddleoddle]

Legit

[@joanavieira6742]

oh so this month's indirect is for us huh (and i love it)

[@disneyfreak9011]

These songs are always such a vibe

[@claudiaporter3455]

you are so talented! i love how you slowly reveal your message through your lyrics i get hooked SO quickly every time! it’s like i wrapping a present

[@doddleoddle]

Aw that’s so nice!!!

[@angelicaobrador9270]

I’ve loved dodies stuff for a while and im like damn I’d LOVE to meet her but like- maybe not. I like twisting her song messages into meanings that make sense for my life instead of what she actual wrote them to be. I honestly don’t think we would be besties but like that’s why her music works: everyone gets the gist of her songs but twists them into our own meanings. We don’t have to be best friends with an artist to love their art.

[@segamble1679]

I think it's become even harder these days because artists are expected (and often willfully offer) a very candid and well-rounded picture of their lives -something that even @doddleoddle is very much a part of. This is by no means a criticism (honestly!), just well known current state of media. It's a bit of a supply and demand issue: artists provide these things, so we want more, which then makes artists do more to make their everyday lives part of their "brand". We're all implicated in the cycle, and we often hear of he havoc it wreaks on artists, so it's interesting to hear it from the fan's perspective.

[@segamble1679]

This was supposed to connect back to your original comment, but apparently it didn't make it there. Sorry for the soap box pontificating.

[@Shscetc]

As a neurodivergent person especially, I love this so much. I don’t know how to feel at the same time. I struggle with parasocial shit constantly. I love you for who you are. That being said, this is the last strike I will be sending you my therapy bill.

[@natattacc99]

😂💀

[@mariohoopedme]

Not explicitly a bad thing

[@absolutelycukoo]

It makes me think of the White Stripes lyric “And then my idols walk next to me, I look up at them they fade away, it’s a destruction of a mystery, the more I listen to what they say”. Love the song Dodie.

[@offbeatkiki]

( i know it's not your fav you've written but) i gotta say this instrumentation and melody is so warm and fun and in contrast with the message of the song i think it juxtaposes really nicely and ends up being pretty damn great. another banger from dodes

[@ani3744]

new dodie music is what brings sm light to a day….. i’m loving the way u say “listen to me” AND RHE HARMONIES

[@mariaysart5599]

I’ve had the chance to meet you twice this year (most recently on a train on the way to the airport) after following you for over a decade. I have to say that having you seemingly so close after being so far away for so long has been a really strange experience and it’s made think about what those moments and my expectations look like to you. This song came at a really perfect time and made me cry a little but brought me back to reality. Love, a forever fan.

[@AnnaSlabetska]

Well, I never comment on videos but this is a very true song with a wise message from one human to another. Good to remember, good to contemplate.

[@samyuktha.]

aw the shots of you singing to your cat, so calming so beautiful I feel like I've been hugged

[@modusartsgroup]

This song reminds me of an old saying, "Don't get to know your Saints too well or they will cease to be Saints." It's good advice. Very nice song, Dodie. Keep going - never stop.

[@lanebutlermusic]

I could see this as an 80s rock song and that image amuses me. Dodie with hair metal vibes

[@abbyandrade6971]

I’m currently going through something similar to this and it makes me adore the song even more. Your message is really powerful and you are very loved, Dodie💜

[@nadineebada6557]

this reminds me of the book “I was born for this” by alice oseman (great great book, highly recommended)

[@julesd9784]

personally i love watching from a distance hahaha i wouldn’t want to be anything more or less than a fan because it’s so intimate to view someone in a special light. i love that

[@HannahCass4]

can anyone else hear 'Stacy's Mom' in that chord progression?? i love it x

[@jusong]

ahhahaha this is such an interesting song concept! as someone who looks up to your music (and clearly has been very influenced by you) a lot, it's both fascinating, weird, but mostly extremely ironic and meta that the message felt oddly towards me in a way (...more of my own personal interpretation vs your interpretation and experiences towards people you admire lol) - while I've been doing a better job at being able to better recognize people that I look up and not put them on a pedastol...admittedly, I am very prone to parasocial relationships on the internet oop. it's clear that my perception of you is probably very different from who you actually are overall, and I'm working on not putting people on another level lmao (the constant struggle of differentiating admiration & inspiration vs unhealthy parasocial relationships). The fact that around a month ago I literally made a whole video about meeting you on my channel, and then this song appearing afterwards on my subscription box is sending me 💀

[@segamble1679]

Lololol. Thanks for the honesty and vulnerability here. Were you a little worried Dodie was going to look in the camera and say, "I'm talking about *you* @JuSong!"

[@mariohoopedme]

Everybody has parasocial relationships whether they like it or not.

[@JoneseyBanana]

This makes me think about a couple of weird parasocial interactions I've experienced lately. The first was going to a car show thing with my boyfriend and a friend of his who, it transpired, follows a car youtuber pretty closely across social media. I'd never heard of this guy, but he had a stall and was meeting followers there. And it was REALLY weird dispassionately watching a hemisphere of about a dozen men attempting to have a parasocial group conversation, all centering on this one random middle aged man. It made me think about the weird parasocial conversations I've wound up in when friends and I have bumped into youtubers (e.g. Evan Edinger, Carrie Hope Fletcher) at youtube conventions in years past, and how they felt in equal parts exciting and awkward, and how we tried to be cool and not let either feeling show, and how weird that dynamic must have looked to onlookers. The other is that my boyfriend's wider social circle of friends-of-friends/acquaintances includes a handful of people who are vaguely youtube-adjacent? Like, they make cool things or are experts in things, and some of them either have their own channels or occasionally appear on other people's. A couple have fairly big followings, in the 50k - 5 mil subs range. The other weekend we bumped into one of the better-known youtubers at an event, and one of my boyfriend's friends briefly caught up with them on what they'd been up to, and my brain was kind of short-circuiting a little. Because on the face of it the interaction was no different to dozens of others we'd had at that event, where my boyfriend and his mates knew people I didn't and were introducing me/catching up with them. But this person was a person I'd watched on the internet for a number of years, so it was weird for them to not only exist in real life, but to exist as just another random stranger? I don't know, both scenarios just thrust me into this third person perspective where I could really FEEL the weirdness of the parasocial dynamic, rather than just intellectualising it, if you know what I mean?

[@jessicamyers9557]

Hey, queen! Girl, you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for all of us and doing it flawlessly. lol no but seriously how are you so good at music, the way you write is always so beautiful !

[@2000Smillie]

0:27 chord progression gives me stacy’s mom vibes haha love it

[@simplified_chaos]

I used to work with many musicians that eventually became friends or acquaintances over the years. And that is really eye-opening to the world around you, the human-ness of it all. If you put somebody on a pedestal, build these expectations for them, it can be easy to miss the biggest picture of all - they're human too. They have their flaws, their faults, but also at the end of the day they're moving through the motions the same as you. Dodie was one of the last concerts I went to in Seattle before covid, and I was so pleased to see it in a small venue, and have the chance to take my sister, a fan, to the concert of her dreams. I've always preferred the energy of a space like that for similar reasons mentioned above. So much passion in close-quarters music! Beautiful piece, dodie ♡

[@taylorknox4917]

pain as a sedative... writing a love song about how love is untouchable..

[@claireelizabeth8276]

"You might ache till you're mad." I felt this in my bones...

[@st0n3dx5]

This is killing me, it’s so exact to my situation. I need it on Spotify.

[@sageandthefullmoon]

This is giving Punisher in terms of themes but it's wayyy more specific!!! I totally get this having BPD and idolizing people so bad I lose myself. Im working on it :)

[@sageandthefullmoon]

BPD is borderline personality disorder. it's very similar to a dissociative disorder bc it's based in trauma!

[@margoalex.]

I think you underestimate your songwriting in this one Dodie. The melody is catchy, the vibe is chill, the lyrics tell a simple yet relatable story, and it’s easy to tell you’re being honest here. If you were to ever put it on Spotify, I’d happily stream it over and over again and I don’t think I’d be the only one.

[@Amndnns]

i think about that alllll the time "what if this artist or that artist is actually quite irritating to hangout with?" ahahahahah but then their words comfort you at your lowest and then you are suddenly daydreaming about being best friends again... ahahhahaahah anyway i think this is a BOP!!!!

[@wokery]

this song sounds so dreamy

[@tizianavallone5719]

your songwriting keeps getting more conversational yet more poetic, more sophisticated yet less pretentious , i dont know how you do it

[@asfbassist]

I enjoyed this alot. Somehow reminded me of some early 2000 pop-punk songs like sum 41

[@odistabettor]

Feel this.

[@jannekejaeschke8500]

on the nose.. it was so weird to see the same person so close but yet distant in the insta storys and then a few moments later(and twice, berlin and mainz:) on stage so real but therefore even more unreachable.. But I loved the shows and screaming a few words that you heard and looking at you and sody on stage. Maybe i’ll grow out of fangirling, but i don’t think my love for your work will stop♥️

[@elenagonzalez8463]

This has come out at a perfect time because I have started to distance myself from bts but not in a I'm not interested in them anymore type way but more in a they don't consume my every thought and being as they used to, I don't idolize them anymore and think they're perfect people. I've just become a fan !! and I'm proud of myself for doing so. Parasocial relationships hit hard, specially when you're at a low place and can wrap your mind as to how you see people you admire. Thanks for the song dodie !!

[@randomgirl2173]

I want to comment a million times on this video. I can't put into words how it makes me feel. It's actually so good! Like the simple melody. The repetition, but slightly changing lyrics. The theme. The cat. dodie. Just everything. I can't explain.

[@sammy.miller.music1]

i accidentally listened to this on 1.25x speed and now i love the speedy version even more whoops!

[@tiramisu9477]

This is v grounding for someone who invested a little too much time on the internet during quarantine. Nobody's on a pedestal, we're all just awkward ppl who talk and eat and sleep and all the things. And that's so lovely :)

[@margoalex.]

I feel so lucky that the first musician I love who I got to meet in person is also the same person who wrote this song. I still come back to it regularly and I think it’s saved me from a lot of heartbreak so thank you.

[@froge6652]

i adore the mrs cameo

[@Commenter339]

love the muted strings in this i hope you never stop making a song a month, it's the best way to look back at the months that passed in my and your life.

[@GaryTheGray]

I really enjoyed this, and will continue to enjoy our parasocial relationship and let my mind fill in the blanks.

[@marlenes593]

the way i signed my letter 'just a fangirl' and i did stand in the light trying to be seen ... i feel called out. these lyrics ache but also calm me

[@marinterry3055]

The legend is back

[@LittleBlueClown]

the part about the song not being what you think it was about and preferring it how you'd imagined... from my own personal experience, genius lyrics can be a blessing and a curse LOL

[@fangirlandproud6442]

I’ve heard the word parasocial thrown around a lot this year. It’s really made me think about the relationships I’ve been forming, not just in the KZbin sense. Even in the real life sense. I’m a writer, imaging other people’s lives is what I do for a living. But I’ve recently reached a point where an imagined version of someone I know irl is haunting me because it’s convinced me of something that’ll never be true. And trying to grapple with that truth has been really difficult for me. Thank you for this insight, dodie. And this song. It’s lovely, even if it isn’t your favorite. I totally get not liking a certain work but putting it out there anyway because there might be someone else who’ll love it as much as you do. I appreciate you sharing this song with us.

[@fernanda__592]

Your music is always like a comfort place for me. I’ve been listening to you since I was 14 and being almost 19 now I can confidently say that it holds a really special place in my heart. Thank you so much, keep shining dodie✨💕

[@prishaa_music]

dodie's lyrics amazing as usual

[@Lanooski]

coulda used this throughout the past decade.

[@VanDivesets]

Hits different 🔥

[@ashleyyrain]

“as it turns out that song didn’t mean what i thought, i wish i didn’t know yeah i preferred it before” kind of reminds me how everyone made a connection between secret for the mad and before the line with the two “promise” lyrics when that wasn’t entirely (or maybe at all) the intention. both interpretations are still great! (which is what i love about art, it’s meaning can go leaps and bounds beyond what the artist meant originally and kind of take on its own form) i just think it’s an interesting thing to note :)

[@Galaxygirl-tg5mb]

This my new favorite song. Love ya Dodie you make my life so much better

[@sopleigh]

NEW SONG NEW SONG YES

[@Cristien84]

I enjoyed this vulnerable song very much. There is always a part of it relatable to a fan like me 🥰

[@randomgirl2173]

An unexpected song, which I absolutely loved! There are very little dodie songs which I don't like listening to. Even the ones I don't go back to seem so profound and beautiful on my first listen. If I had all the time in the world I would certainly learn them all, but I enjoy the fact I can always rediscover a dodie song and fall in love with it all over again.

[@susan5223]

So true...thank you! Now I have a cool groove in my head🙂

[@LaurenBedford13]

this is gonna be stuck in my head for weeks

[@kerrinconnolly]

oooooh hell yeah

[@fifiishere]

Dodie whenever you release something, it seems to always relate to what I'm feeling in my life at the time and I genuinely needed to hear the message in this song. It's so pretty but a harsh reality to face and I love that. People may not be as great as they seem on the screen.

[@margaridavelhinho1478]

2:42 - THE CAT WINKED OML AKJDSHASKDHAKSHFDKAH *melts bc cat and dodie*

[@dee2654]

I used to just be a fan to this one guy, he's popular in my town but I'm dating him now and I keep learning new things about him every day and we're actually working out, I love him more now with all his quirks than just seeing him sing from afar.

[@rowan7566]

I live for the day where I can see Dodie live in concert. You’re music has gotten me through so much and always calms me when I’m stressed; especially now during my exams✨💕 thank you for the amazing music!

[@hughbarton5743]

As always: great vocal, great song, great video.... PLUS: your cat is tremendous! In typical cat fashion! Just lying there, doing nothing, ignoring you, or giving you minimal response to continue training you to feed the cat.... Seriously, though, I always love your work! Thank goodness our KZbin robot overlords put your stuff in front of me.... Be well, keep up the tremendous work you do!

[@ortiza657]

oh this is such a bop

[@lufortuna]

I think it’s nice to have grown out of that fangirly obsession as fun as it was in the moment and just be able to enjoy the artist and its art as a whole. However i acknowledge how your existence for example has had a huge impact on mine and i think that’s also very cool!!! The transition from obsession to appreciation is lovely and warm and nice. I recommend

[@CosasdeAndrea]

Same

[@juligirl4545]

love these songs-- you seriously have one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard

[@jamessnow3992]

this is an amazing way to keep a record of this year and everyone who is following dodie over the course of the year! please please please let dodie release all 12 (if there is 12) of these on an ep/lp because that would make my year!

[@septim2315]

I randomly found your song Burned Out today and checked your channel to see this video posted. It felt like a continuation 💜 Anyway good luck with your endeavours!

[@dani-tz1co]

I know this isn't your fave dodie, but I seriously LOVE this song! the message is so real & it gets stuck in my head like all the time. I hope you end up releasing it!!!

[@musketto]

I'm really hoping these monthly songs get to be an album because I want this on repeat

[@casperforest5226]

gods your music has calmed me in the worst of times. everytime im having a hard night, i put on your music and everything seems okay again, like i can breathe again. im so glad I met you before you went into your concert area in LA. it was amazing seeing my favourite artist perform a concert that I went through hell and back to see. ily, keep it up. thank you for all you do. it never goes unoticed

[@brooksgillespie]

this song just called me out and ruined my life and I think I knew that would happen and that's why I'm so late to watching it. but also? for those of you wishing to still hold on to a bit of hope - I've been lucky enough to become friends with people I originally found as artists I admired. and some of them are so wonderful.

[@leela9003]

the guitar on this slaps so hard I love how all these songs are so different but tie together like a collage kinda

[@PacifiedGenY]

This is amazing! And perfectly articulates the truth of the phrase never meet your heroes.

[@mondainai1582]

Thank you, Dodie. Your music always makes me feel better.

[@notmrs.dalloway6094]

dodie's every month song has been a source of happiness for me. I allowed myself to be happy for 4 minutes more or less. Bless you, dodie. 🌼 Btw, if anyone don't mind answering, what instrument does dodie play on this? Is it a classical guitar? (and what brand, I am curious. It sounds amazing!!!)

[@JessHessMusic]

This is perfect and what I need rn

[@fuzzbus]

Or, a windmill! Jammin’ low-key bang-uh! Wonderful

[@BonBon-cn1kb]

This is a really nice sounding song. I love the harmony. I like the message too.

[@eleanor1427]

dodie targeting us all with that title

[@selfconfidenceisnotacrime9031]

The songs title is so delightfully alliterative

[@kaykrystalkay]

somehow i didnt notice before but now i have. delightful is such a lovely word choice for the name haha.

[@rachellizzie889]

The chords on this guitar are fantastic with this melody. Beautiful song. ❤️ Been loving your songs since 2013 I think.

[@antoniagwenyth9566]

Genuinely love this song so much

[@lunamajor9264]

I love when the chorus isn't the song title

[@tash5017]

Ears feel blessed after hearing this melody 🥺

[@eddiesmith3093]

dodie uploaded? i'm calm and I am now ready to have my monthly good night sleep -just a humble fan x

[@jesskaijaks6414]

they do say never meet your hero's

[@daisyoriordan1519]

i hope youre well I'm wishing you only the best things in life dodie dodie 💓