Singer Momo Boyd first released the demo “American Love Song” on SoundCloud two years ago. On March 27, she released a solo official version after success with the group Infinity Song on streaming, accompanied by a music video.
“American Love Song” is more than just standard patriotism, it’s a connection between self and country. She writes in an Instagram post how love in America is more influenced by culture than we think. Our personalities have been programmed to compete with one another and maintain the things that set us apart. The song is a reflection of these concepts, and even if she doesn’t have the answers, she encourages listeners to engage with them with her.
The start of the track is solely her and the music. A guitar strums along with her voice as she sets the scene of a failing relationship—one hinged on being placed on a pedestal by her partner.
“Once upon a time I was your angel sent down to you from above,” she sings, then delves into her indecisive partner calling it off.
Boyd constantly repeats the phrase “You said if I wasn’t so American, I might love you more.” She talks about the all too familiar feeling of feeling like someone has to give up the most important parts of themselves for their relationship.
The single has a haunting choir harmonizing with Boyd in the background of the track, echoing her reflections on love in a way that makes it a cultural struggle rather than an individual one. It’s become less of her story and one that can resonate with Americans around the world who understand the culture’s need for freedom and hyper-independence.
The bridge has the same pattern as the chorus, but this time Boyd is singing, “Love is a privilege, not a right. Sometimes you just don’t get back twice.” The background singers have faded and Boyd speaks directly to her partner, warning him of the potential trouble of ending a relationship in the hopes of finding something better.
The additional vocals and the removal of those vocals as well as the strumming of instruments all play a role in the overall message Boyd seeks to give. She’s creating an experience of love and reflection as well as calling on our culture to recognize the faults we have in creating genuine relationships.
Her music video embodies classic America with horses, denim, an American flag sweater and a small chapel wedding. By embodying American culture, Boyd becomes the thing used against her in the song: her partner’s patriotism. By doing this, Boyd brings Americana in full force and provides a perspective not often recognized in classic Americana music: the experience of Black women.
Her song has received engagement on YouTube from a community of women who find themselves represented in a genre that often works against them. Boyd doesn’t stray from the classic American aesthetic typically reserved for white country artists, and Black women have noticed. Users are writing in the comments underneath her video how much it means to see themselves represented in white, conservative culture.
If there’s one new artist to look out for, it’s Momo Boyd who is making a strong premiere to the music scene with “American Love Song.”
