Quick off the heels of her “Lonely Summer” hit, buzzing alt-pop artist Lakookala is back with a more vulnerable track that is sure to relate to many listeners. “The Wrong Places” confronts necessary but tough topics regarding women’s sexuality and how female-identifying people are brought up to look for love outwardly rather than finding it from within. This type of socialization can lead to women being oversexualized and internally unfulfilled, something Lakookala can unfortunately relate to. The catchy yet gritty track provides raw lyrics that put it bluntly: she’s simply been looking for love in all the wrong places. Void of context, we may interpret this to mean that she’s lost in finding her romantic interest…but that interpretation just further proves her point. This is not a result of failed romantic connections but rather, a struggle in practicing self love.
“Do you know what I’ve been looking for, Oh I’ve been locked out in and out of doors / To feel love without she, he and yours, Oh, I’ve been here, Oh I’ve lived here before” – The Wrong Places
Lakookala’s passion for psychedelic soundscapes pair perfectly with the turbulent internal wrestling match that comes with being a public figure. When out in the public eye, women are pressured to put copious amounts of attention on their physical appearance. But what happens if they just want to be heard? What if we take the physical out of the picture and simply focus on the art? Lakookala brilliantly gives listeners a lot to think about as we still, in 2021, have a tendency to oversexualize women and therefore overlook their talents and contributions.
“When we continue to hold up unachievable beauty standards for women, it becomes an emotional prison where they are both afraid to be undersexual or oversexual at all times. This for me is exhausting and can leave us feeling unfulfilled in our life and our work . I hope women who listen to my song, and my music understand that wherever they are on this spectrum that they are enough, and that however they choose to present themselves everyday is enough. This is something I have struggled with in my identity since I was a very young woman, and am still learning to grapple with everyday as an artist.” – Nicole Ranalli, Lakookala
