Flashback Friday: Crystal Kay – Eternal Memories

There was no way I could go a week of posting Crystal Kay shit to celebrate her 24th anniversary and not mention the song that started it all, “Eternal Memories”. But we’re not gonna revisit the music video. Instead we’re gonna throwback back to a live performance of the song, which I believe is from Crystal’s Live ‘04 CK5 and counting gig. It’s swiftly followed up by an acoustic cover of “Curious”. But we’re gonna focus our attention on “Eternal Memories” for today.

Also, can you believe that there is not even an official upload of the music video for “Eternal Memories”?

“Eternal Memories” really got me think though about young girls singing songs about subject matters beyond their years, and the ways in which they’re able to resonate across generations. Because “First Love” and “Eternal Memories” are both cut from the same cloths, in that they aren’t typical songs for artists in their early teens to release as singles, and yet they are two songs which fans have such attachments to. There has been so much nostalgia tied to both songs over the years, which is strangely fitting given that both songs are about memories.

“Eternal Memories” is a song which Crystal has spoken about quite a few times, and she’s been very open about how she really never understood what the song was about when she first recorded it at the age of 13 / 14. But as she got older and performed it through the years, she was able to get the song and identify with it more. And you get a sense of this with this performance, despite Crystal only being 18 years old at this time.

The thing that’s really interesting about hearing Crystal sing the song here versus when she was 14, is how differently they’re framed as a result of not only Crystal’s age, but her evolved approach to singing. And yet the heart of the song is still exactly the same. The original version of “Eternal Memories” felt like Crystal was singing from a first person, within the world of the song. Where-as at 18, it like she’s singing from a third person. But both versions are completely earnest and retain the same sense of warmth, feeling almost like lullabies. The beauty of how “Eternal Memories” is written and arranged is why it has aged like a fine wine. Only bad bitches get to have a debut song so good that it stands the test of time and manages to sound better as time goes on.