Simone’s “This Time Last Year” Shows Listeners that the Holidays Aren’t Always Full of Joy

At a mere twenty years old, New York City-based singer-songwriter Simone has already made a name for herself in the music industry. Through her youthful timbre, she addresses serious, complex emotions within her lyrics. Her latest single, “This Time Last Year,” is a heartbreaking story of the final days of a relationship and the feeling that comes with the breakup anniversary, particularly around the holidays.

The song’s soft piano intro and striking first lines set the tone for what is to come. Simone cleverly refers to the cold, empty feelings she had at the end of her relationship with a nod to the cold weather: 

“This time last year, it was colder 

By then I knew it was over” 

The pre-chorus provides an intense, sorrowful buildup to the lyrically simpler chorus. Simone continues the seasonal theme here, representing the relationship cycle:

“Well there's only so much you can do

And it's never as simple as I love you 

It was nice in the summer, it was good in the spring 

But something had changed and there goes everything” 

Sometimes, there genuinely is nothing you can do to save a relationship, and it certainly is never as simple as saying “I love you.” 

The chorus, although simple and understated, packs an emotional punch in combination with the steady bass line and the melodica solo line:

“We were right here

This time last year”

Simone’s vocals sound almost like a cry here, clearly portraying the pain she feels, a year later, while reflecting on her relationship. Listeners can sympathize and relate to this vulnerability Simone displays. Regardless of how things may have ended, it can still be excruciating to reflect on a relationship after a year has passed. 

During the bridge, Simone sings about the ultimate downfall of her relationship:

“Well, there's only so much you can take

And it's never as easy as walking away

Should've left in September, but I stayed through the fall

Like something would change, then it all fell apart”

This section reflects the unhealthy environment of Simone’s relationship and her retrospective struggle in which she places blame on herself. This is extremely common within these kinds of relationships—while Simone never explicitly states that her relationship was toxic, her use of the lyrics, “Well, there’s only so much you can take,” implies its unhealthiness. This bridge is arguably my favorite part of the piece, as it continues the themes from the rest of the song but further reinforces her discontent and struggle with leaving. It beautifully represents the blind hope many people experience in relationships when they have faith that it could improve. However, this false hope seldom works out, leading to even more heartbreak. 

Simone concludes this song with a beautiful callback to its opening lines. Despite the pain and heartache she experienced, she now realizes she is in a better place, and as she says, she is okay:

“This time last year it was colder

I'm okay now, I'm okay” 

The holidays aren’t always full of joy. For some, they can be a time for mourning and reflecting on painful experiences. However, Simone’s breathtaking piece shows that this is a normal human experience, and offers a sense of relatability. This track tells listeners experiencing similar situations or feelings that their pain is normal, and that they will be okay with time. “This Time Last Year” should be immediately added to your playlists featuring Phoebe Bridgers’ “Christmas Song” or Bleachers’ “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call.”