Shelita, the pop artist from Seattle who combines electronic production with international influences, has taken many years to rebuild her life following a skydiving accident and it was during this recovery that she turned to music and freediving. The fact that she has this background makes the warmth of ‘Open To You’ especially meaningful since it is an artist who is allowing space for pleasure, affection and the possibility of getting close to someone.
The song ‘Open To You’ is at the stage of attraction in which flirting begins to have real consequences. It has a relaxed tempo and Shelita’s warm voice is in the forefront. The opening animal imagery in the lyrics lays desire right out there.
The ideas of having flowers in the bed and taking baths in a candlelit room then turn the fantasy into a familiar domestic situation. These are particular things that someone would like to share with another person and so they turn the song’s more general theme of openness into something you can actually visualise.
Shelita also recognises the appeal of being straightforward. The key statement, “I’m open to you”, gives the chorus a definite emotional aim. The way she phrases it makes it sound as if the offer is made freely, and the pause around her voice lets that choice have an impact. There is enjoyment in the performance together with the vulnerability that comes from stating your intentions out loud.
My interpretation of “Open To You” is based on this combination: a sense of attraction coupled with enough affection to make the situation significant. Shelita provides a commonplace topic with a convincing human touch, that moment when you decide someone deserves to hear just how much you want them nearby.
