Sometimes when it rains, it really pours. Acclaimed indie singer songwriter Hayley Sales just released her new single and visuals for “Lifeguard,” which is a shattering tale of love, loss, and friends turned foes. Best known for her vulnerable songwriting and retro-soaked aesthetic, Sales might be new to the music scene, but the acclaimed actress and musician is already making her talent well known, her last single “Never Before” being a collaboration with celebrated actress and legendary icon Sharon Stone.
In “Lifeguard,” Sales shares the heartbreaking narrative of the world literally crumbling at her fingertips. The songwriter confides that she wrote "from a place so thick with devastation I could barely breathe – a place where the only light I could see was kidnapped by the shards of a very shattered heart. Someone tells a rumor. It spreads with the fierceness of a wildfire and lights up the imagination of the entire city. For me, it’s a painfully true story. I lost my boyfriend of many years. I lost my home. I lost my friends. My reputation." Painstakingly honest, deliberate, and dripping with deep-seated emotions, the result is a cathartic musical experience where a truth is released and untold stories are brought to light. Featuring angelic echoing vocals over a sweeping indie pop melody, the song pulls you in and doesn’t let you go, filling you with powerful emotions and feelings of despair. In the accompanying visuals, Sales is shown at a party where her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her in a cold and emotionless way. Then, to make matters even worse, her friends put eerie masks on, turning against Sales and shutting her out when she needs them the most. You get a feeling that Hayley Sales is being ambushed in the narrative, and the video ultimately leaves you with more questions than it does answers.
Hayley Sales is a singer-songwriter and actress from Toronto who is known for her fusion of indie pop with classical undertones. Her approach to songwriting feels nostalgic, effortless, and masterfully crafted to resonate with a wider audience. Aside from her musical career, Sales has appeared in films Deadool2, Stand, and Just For the Summer, as well as a lengthy list of television programs. She is currently on a UK tour with Rufus Wainright.
Watch and listen to “Lifeguard” for a tale of loss so deep it cannot be told with words.
