“Forever & Again” by The Kid LAROI
“Forever & Again” is a tune that dates back at least to early 2021, since The Kid Laroi first previewed it back in January of that year. It was finally released on 21 July 2023, via Atlantic Records, as part of “Barbie: The Album”, which is the soundtrack to the Barbie film. That would imply that this song was not created specifically for the movie, which may then explain why Rolling Stone stated that it “feel(s) out of place on the record”.
That said, the producers of the track are Louis Bell and Watt, two ubiquitous names in the music industry circa the early 2020s. And they also get songwriting credit for the song, alongside Billy Walsh and The Kid Laroi.
Lyrics of “Forever & Again”
This is a love song, one in which, as such tracks often tend to go, revolves around the vocalist expressing his undying dedication to the addressee. However in this case, there is a special emphasis on the latter being in what may be described as an F’ed-up state.
For instance, the second implies that she abuses alcohol, besides having anger management and commitment issues. Viewed from a different angle and as insinuated in the first verse, she needs someone willing to remain by her side, to see her past all of the “demons” she has to conquer.
So going as the thesis sentiment goes, The Kid is expressing his willingness to be that person. Yes, the pre-chorus especially can be interpreted along the lines of the two of them being lovers, but the vocalist does not come off as if he is self-interested. Instead, as expressed in the first verse, the young-yet-mature Laroi knows how it feels to be “at the bottom”, unable to “find (his) way home”.
So now that he has a special someone in his life going through similar matters, he’s sympathetic and furthermore, under his estimation, experienced enough to rise up to the challenge of helping her overcome such maladies.
