‘Exquisite’ by Aurealis looks at the uneasy sensation of suddenly becoming attracted to someone whom you know you should not and cannot pursue. Although it is constructed as a shiny, film-like synth-pop piece, it centres on the internal struggle that comes after this feeling: looking at them for too long, looking away, losing one’s composure and imagining a conversation that will never take place. Instead of turning the attraction into an opportunity to cross a boundary, ‘Exquisite’ remains with the tension, awkwardness and self-restraint involved in experiencing something that cannot be acted upon.
The song conveys that sense of conflict through the use of enthusiastic synth-pop sounds and multiple vocal layers. The repeated phrase ‘mind, mind, mind’ shows the narrator’s personal obsession, and the chorus line ‘You’re absolutely exquisite’ is the song’s most direct expression of admiration. A contrast is evident between the narrator’s controlled awareness of where the boundary is and the thoughts that keep on coming up. It is this contrast which provides the song with its emotional depth, since the attraction builds up inside the narrator without turning into a justification for acting on it.
The song also shows that attraction can produce a sense of discomfort. The narrator is repeatedly going over a conversation which will never take place, finding himself caught between the desire to look and the knowledge that he should look away. As a result, the song stays concentrated on the feelings that are present in his mind, where desire, self-control and self-awareness all coexist. The smooth synth-pop arrangement provides an open and spacious backdrop for these thoughts while at the same time keeping the narrative focused on a very particular emotional contradiction.
The visual element in the artwork carries on this sense of tension through the use of black, white and silver, incorporating mirrors, light and reflections together with two magnetic figures circling each other. The dreamy atmosphere mirrors the intense emotion present in the song without losing its sense of restraint. The production, the vocal hooks and the visual concept all combine to give the song ‘Exquisite’ a distinct identity, showing attraction not as something that is granted but as a feeling which can be overwhelming, awkward and hard to ignore. It is a well-polished examination of longing and self-control.
