There are love songs, and then there are love songs that arrive with a wink and a warning. Melbourne artist moonsea delivers both in “I’ll kill you if you die before me”, a tender, happy-sad indie-pop gem we’re premiering, along with a stunning animated video, ahead of its official release this Friday.
On the surface, it’s playful — almost absurd in its dramatic declarations. “If your heart packs it in at sixty-seven / Well, I’ll be complaining directly to heaven” she sings, weaponising humour to soften something far more existential. But beneath the sweetness lies a quietly devastating truth: loving someone deeply means accepting that one day, one of you will be left behind. Anyone who has lost someone they loved dearly will resonate strongly with this. I certainly have!
The chorus’ repeated threat — half joke, half plea — gives way to some of the track’s most affecting lines. “You got me hooked on a drug with a finite supply / I can’t think of the day when the stash will run dry” reframes devotion as addiction, not in toxicity but in tenderness. Later, the imagery grows even more intimate: “No more wrinkles or sleep-talk your side of the bed / When I reach for your pillow, I hear your voice in my head.” It’s domestic, specific, and heartbreakingly human.
Cecelia explains: “At the heart of this song is the idea that you can miss out on or suffocate the one you love if you try to protect them from the inevitability of death. I wanted to create something that was sweet on the outside but illustrates that somewhat dark idea on the inside. I worked with an animator called Nadeera to create this video. It tells the story of a young girl and her pet mouse. It’s pretty straightforward, but cute!”
The accompanying animated video, created by Nadeera Abeywansha, is gorgeous — sweet, thoughtful and quietly touching. Telling the story of a young girl and her pet mouse, it mirrors the song’s emotional duality perfectly: outwardly gentle and charming, yet underscored by an awareness of impermanence that gives it unexpected depth.
That closing refrain — “Would it still be precious if it were eternal?” — lingers long after the final note fades. Play this, and play it again.
New Zealand-raised and now based in Melbourne, moonsea (the project of Cecilia Xu) brings a classical sensibility to her songwriting, subtly weaving orchestral textures into her pop framework. Alongside her work as a practicing doctor — witnessing people at life’s most fragile moments — her music carries an emotional literacy that feels deeply earned rather than performed.
“I’ll kill you if you die before me” is out everywhere this Friday — but you can hear it first right here on the AU review.
Header image credit: Lucinda Keating
