By: Emma Kopelowicz
June 12, 2020

Neon Arcade dig beneath the superficial surface of a classic 80’s trope on their retro-wave bop, “Valley Girl.”

For those of you not familiar with the term, it typically refers to a certain socioeconomic stereotype associated with young, upper middle-class white women from Southern California’s San Fernando Valley. These teenagers have the propensity to use slightly goofy insults like “as if” and the filler word “like”––like all the time. The Valley Girl legacy from the 80’s lives on to this day, but Neon Arcade is here to deliver us a slight twist on the original cliché. 

Neon Arcade create a much darker storyline tackling much heavier topics than the glossy popularity wars and fashion trends of the original Valley Girl era narrative. “It’s been two years/And still her holds her hostage/She saves her tears/And adds them to her losses,” the third verse alludes to an abusive relationship. There is a stark contrast between the bright, bubbly melodies and the song’s heartbreaking storyline. Clearly, Neon Arcade is saying that you should never judge a Valley Girl by her perfect clothes and glamorous lifestyle habits. 

It’s slightly ironic just how catchy this song is considering its heavy subject matter. Its free-spirited rhythms perfectly blend 80’s synths and alt-indie guitar riffs. When listening to “Valley Girl” definitely pay attention to the lyrics in order to get the full picture––we promise it’s worth it. Stream the track below, and tell us what you think of it on social media at: @gasmaskmagazine. Feel free to connect with our writer as well: @emkopel!

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