Sufjan Stevens Writes Americas’ Eulogy
By Simone Tranfaglia
The American dream is dead, or according to Sufjan Stevens, it was never alive. He preaches this sobering message across all 14 tracks of his new album The Ascension released on September 25th. Being his first solo album since Carrie & Lowell(2015), Sufjan ousts his intimate folk sound, and reestablishes himself with synth-heavy and programmed electronics; exposing the audience to his bold idea that the world is flirting with doomsday, and it is inevitable.
Compared to Carrie & Lowell(2015), which he dealt his delicate feeling of his mother's death, in The Ascension, he has dropped the folk storytelling idiom and replaced them with electric, mechanical synths that give us a much greater insight into his subconscious and the depressing conviction of our world. Sufjan stated in an interview with the Atlantic, “There’s a lot of criticism on those [early] records; it’s all just hidden behind a facade of joyfulness.” “But I’m inherently a pessimist ... For the first time, on The Ascension, I’m being honest about what I feel about the world.” An affair with pessimism is something many people are grappling with these days; from isolation due to the pandemic or fear of our government; this smörgåsbord of emotions makes The Ascension one of Sufjan's most universally understandable albums to date.
“Video Games”, the third song on his one hour and 20-minute album, is upbeat but cynical. “I don't want to play your video games/ I don't want to be the center of the universe/ I don't wanna be part of that shame.” Sufjan is commenting on the ways social media has exacerbated celebrity worship and how people simply create for validation. This might be an easy thing to preach, for an artist with such a dedicated cult following; he no longer needs to fight for attention from his audience. However, this position allows Sufjan Stevens to make music that asks questions, which he did in The Ascension.
Sufjan Stevens certainly raised some questions when he soured the idea of the ‘American dream’ in his song “America.” In the foreground of this song, it gives off an almost dreamy, mystical composition; as you dive deeper, there are waves of dark heavy synths, giving the sense of corruption and evil. The lyrics “Don’t do to me what you did to America/I have loved you, I have grieved/ I’m ashamed to admit I no longer believe” fade in and out throughout the first half of the 12-minute song. It is evident that this song is the all-encompassing feelings Sufjan Stevens has about the deterioration of America. The song at one point fades into one long note; capturing the listener. However, the song slowly lifts itself up, becoming more delicate and hopeful. Allowing Sufjan to leave the listener hopeful for the future and where we are in humanity.
There is no doubt that the world is in a tumultuous state, and it is clear that The Ascension is what the audience needed from him. This album is very dependent on the relationship between Sufjan and the listener. It is not a story nor a string of radio-friendly singles; it is Sufjan opening a dialogue with the listener to hear what he has to preach. In the aforementioned interview with the Atlantic he says, “I’m speaking to you,” Stevens said. “You are the subject of this record. You, the listener...I think I’ve earned the right to be didactic and preachy.” It is an intimidating album, forcing the listener to evaluate their ideas of America and the ways technology has changed the world. Sufjan Stevens has fully accepted his pessimist side and is not afraid to hold America accountable.