
Mojave
Written by: Ashley S. Beroukhim
Produced by: Ashley S. Beroukhim & Eugenio "GVLA" Moleiro
There is SO MUCH to share about this song, I'm sorry for the telanovela below:
I've always felt there was an unabashed coolness to the desert. When running against the flash of European architecture, the flirtation of the sea, the sought after subtropics and awe-inspiring forests of the West - most people don't consider the desert a welcoming marvel of nature. But it just feels like the desert doesn't care.
It knows what it is and doesn't need to show off or prove what it has to offer. It's different and doesn't have to be adored by everyone. It doesn't hide behind anything; greenery, fauna, sea-salted air. It is empty and expansive. It's minimal, it's quiet and dry, but it has a magical universe to offer to those that vibe with it.
When I moved back to LA, I was hit with a brutal truth: I have bandwagoners now.
Have you ever walked out of a bathroom to literally find people you've been trying to escape sitting by the door just waiting for you? Saying yes to everything you say, changing their opinions to match your opinions? Justifying that they genuinely know and love you? It's suffocating and scary, as I'm sure one can imagine.
There's a compliment in there somewhere, that people consider me an up-and-coming artist with a lucrative career ahead. So thanks! What's not so wonderful about this, is how fake a person will become in order to reap the benefits of your blood, sweat, and tears. They will lie and die to impress in order to prove that we are practically sisters, that they've always been there for me, that they're here to support rather than party. These people tend to be seeking fulfillment & validation to fill voids due to their own insecurities, I recognize that. Fine. It's fake, it's inauthentic, it's pretty frustrating.
Then - the cattiness. I have never been the dramatic type. I'm clear, I'm kind, and I'm confident - I know who I am, and that's not above nor below anyone. I have no business forcing people to like me, cause in the end, we are not all made for each other and that is okay. It takes a lot of trial and error, finding "our people." In the entertainment industry, some people want LOUD, FLASHY, ABNOXIOUS - childish, attention-seeking, *baddie-behavior* out of an indie, female artist. They're not gonna get that here. I am the Mojave, I am chill, *high on life,* and I don't need substances or sycophants to get me there. I also don't feel the need to explain myself.
When I don't entertain insecure behavior, when I'm not desperate for people's love, when I don't humor the leechy type, my "cool af" demeanor can be misconstrued as arrogance... :) Believe it or not, I have been called a grand-ol biotch many a time for this reason. #goals
Bandwagoners adore you if you give them everything and despise you when you give them nothing. Bitter beings destined for tragedy want to see you playing the same troubled artist trope, and when you don't (cause you're a professional lol) suddenly you're a conceited narcissist.
This song is a lil' bit of a flex song essentially saying, "think what you want about me - I really don't care. Have a great night." I imagine it echoing from an open-air, rooftop lounge in the middle of the desert, under the stars, firepits and cocktails all around (a scene I think many of us are itching for these days).
GVLA called this one smooth, sexy, house music and I think yes. :)