At first, the sound and melody of Comme Avant reminds you of a European getaway. The old-school Hollywood vibe of the video, alongside its jazzy-feel, makes you want to dance on the streets of Paris, where Chloë Black herself is from. But as you listen closer to the lyrics and Black’s voice, you realize the deeper, almost heart-wrenching meaning behind it. 

Comme Avant is similar to Black’s other singles, such as “Sacrifice,” in the sense that it is majestic and draws listeners in for more. Even famed record producer Mark Ronson has recognized Black’s talent, by including Comme Avant in his “top five favorite songs’’ this past summer. However, this single is a bit different from the rest, as both the song and video are melodramatic, or as Black describes, a “literal representation of the self reflection.’’ Switching from English to French throughout, Comme Avant is honest, captivating and raw, and has to be one of her most vulnerable releases to date. 

“‘Comme Avant’ means ‘like before’ and it’s a song about living through difficult things that force us to grow up or change, and the nostalgia that accompanies it,” said Black. “It’s about loss of innocence, naïveté and the irreversible inner change in identity we all go through in our lives. ‘Grandir c’est triste…mais c’est la vie’ – ‘Growing up is sad…but that’s life.’”

Watch the premiere of Comme Avant below.