Meaning of “Hello, Anxiety” by Phum Viphurit
As the title suggests, this is a song about dealing with anxiety. Based on the beginning of the track, it seems that this is an emotion that the singer, Phum Viphurit, deals with regularly. Or at least, according to his own words, he penned the song “at a time of self-doubt (and) stress”, which are definitely feelings that are part and parcel of being anxious. However, this track is not an advocacy or acceptance of such negative sensations. Rather it is a call to consciously kick such outlooks to the curb, with the song ultimately ending on a positive note.
In other words, although Phum finds himself confronted with anxiety, he is not giving in to it. In fact he insinuates that he’s been practicing ways to overcome it. And what he actually desires is something that will excite him enough to fight off such emotions. However, he acknowledges that conquering anxiety is a battle, ultimately one that he has decided to fight for the most part alone, as he is not keen on exhibiting his sadness to others.
Later he questions exactly what is necessary in order to bring about happiness. He also acknowledges that he and others who are going through similar emotions are “lost”, perhaps alluding to their inability to concretely define joy. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the overall situation has him down. In fact Phum feels that just as inevitably as the sun shines every brand new day, at the end of the day, he and the others he is addressing will overcome their anxiety.
So ultimately, despite the alarming title of this track, “Hello, Anxiety” is actually a feel-good song based on optimism and overcoming negative emotions.
