Cole Cuchna

And while those patterns may not be real in a literal sense, they become real in how we experience them, which I think actually speaks to something deeper about the human experience, how so much of our reality is subjective, how our perception of others and even ourselves is filtered through our own history, insecurities, and expectations.

And it's no coincidence that these same thematic ideas show up in Face to Face's actual lyrics, which were written and performed by Todd Edwards himself.

As we listen, I want you to think about who he might be singing to.

Alright, so Edwards enters the song singing, What's going on?

Could this be my understanding?

It's not your fault I was being too demanding.

I must admit it's my pride that made me distant.

All because I hoped that you'd be someone different.

At first blush, it would appear that Edwards is talking to a partner, a love interest, admitting his own faults and their fading relationship.

He blames his pride for expecting them to be something other than what they are, likely something that more closely aligned with his specific desires or needs.

Rather than allowing them to exist freely, he wanted them to conform to his expectations of who they should be, and resentment and distance grew when they didn't.

This thread continues in the next section, where he sings, There's not much I know about you.

Fear will always make you blind.

Edwards realizes his pride was simply a mask for his fear, which didn't allow him to connect with this person's true essence.

He never saw them for who they truly were, and this leads to the revelation of true sight.

He sings, With the masks of ego and pride removed, Edwards can finally see this person for the first time, the starting point for any genuine and lasting relationship.

It's an incredibly insightful comment on the personal baggage we often bring to our relationships, where our own insecurities distort our perception of another, where the flaws we see in others are actually a reflection of the flaws in ourself.

And this was exactly the idea behind Edwards' carefully crafted lyrics, because according to Edwards himself,

Face to Face was originally meant to score the cinematic battle scene between the heroes and villains in Discovery's live-action movie, which came with a twist ending.

Once the smoke cleared, it was supposed to be like a big mirror, and they realized that they were fighting themselves the whole time.