Premiere: Meekha wants to stay ‘young’ forever

The fantastic world of Neverland epitomizes our eternal childhood, pressurizing innocence, wonder and escapism into a fairy book tale of adventure and magic. We are all born with a clean slate, then brought to life through our vivid imaginations seeking an extraordinary alternate universe. “If you believe, then we are young,” pop up and comer Meekha pleads on her debut single, a sparkling mid-tempo called “young,” which features her robust exercise in vocal acrobatics. Her voice shines with a slick crystal veneer, trimmed over “Fight Song”-like tribal drums and a melody so clear and potent you’ll never forget it. “Never, never, never grow up, no / Until we die, we will be young,” she skates into and out of her head voice effortlessly.

B-Sides & Badlands is humbled to get our hands on the song’s exclusive premiere. On the song’s message, the Portland performer explains: “‘young’ is, obviously, inspired by Peter Pan, and it’s a song about when I was growing up I was infatuated with Neverland, and when I looked at the adults around me, it made me never want to grow up to be like them. I wanted to stay happy and youthful forever, and I promised myself I’d get to Neverland by the time I was 18, so I never had to be an adult.”

“Well, that didn’t happen,” she continues with a hearty chuckle, “and when I turned 18, I really had to ask myself what I was going to do to grow into the person I wanted to be, rather than becoming like those around me. It was actually a time of deep spiritual and personal examination. Ultimately, I came out of it with a strong passion to never let the child inside me die and to always keep that youthful wonder about the world.”

If “young” is any indication, we might have a tour de force on our hands. Ready for that album now, m’kay?

Listen below: