Premiere: hbiba Shoulders The Burden Of Memory On “Strange Behavior”
How do we reconcile with something once its meaning shifts? Difficult in any circumstance, this dilemma becomes especially hazardous when the shift feels uninvited. A fresh interpretation of an old story dims the impact it once had in your youth. The damaging undertones of a beloved film chip away at the solace it used to bring. Once-welcome earworms start to grate as shocking revelations about your favorite musicians come to light. And, perhaps most painfully, the sacred memories we shared with those we’ve grown apart from begin to blur and fade, becoming distant, hollow, even strange.
It’s a natural part of moving forward, but it leaves behind a quiet ache and a nagging question: What do we do with all these memories, all these personal landmarks pointing to something that no longer exists? Whether foundational or fleeting, they still sit heavy in the mind… once vital, now aimless. How do we carry the weight of what once mattered deeply, now redefined or rendered obsolete?
This plight pulses through the essence of “Strange Behavior,” the stirring new single from bedroom pop artist hbiba. Recounting memories through a jaded lens, the song reflects on once-innocent moments, fragments of a beautiful connection that have since warped into something unsettling and damaging. What was once tender now feels potent, persuasive, and piercing in unexpected ways. Set for release on Wednesday, July 2, the song offers a realistic portrayal of sifting through heartache, where we are not just afflicted by the pain of losing a future, but by the deeper torment of having your past rewritten… of carrying memories you’d rather forget. Today, The Auricular is proud to premiere this striking new track with an exclusive stream below, alongside a closer look into its unflinching clarity.
“Strange Behavior” unfolds in slow-motion scenes; innocent in their setup, but unforgettable with their emotional weight. These are the kinds of memories that are recounted with startling clarity, as if reliving them in an endless loop: the drifting scents in each corner of the room, the way the light bends across familiar surfaces, the distinct tone and timbre of the world around you, and the arresting gaze of someone you once believed you’d never leave… or be left by. Memories of a poolside gathering with libations aplenty and free-spirited expression open the song, before shifting to early morning preparations, where grease and butter splatters come to life just as much as liberated twirls through the kitchen.
“How does anyone leave you\ Without blurring this part out,” hbiba wonders at the close of this second memory, a haunting question that captures a mind caught between two impossible impulses: to erase the memory or remain lost within it. Neither offers real solace. One leaves you hollowed by absence, the other consumed by longing. Both paths steal the chance to make new memories, ones that, in time, might gently shift this moment to a quieter corner of the mind. Still present. Still poignant. But no longer so persistent at the edge of every thought.
The music here is subtle and nuanced, beginning with a burst of rock distortion that mirrors the jarring weight of all this emotional excavation. As the memories surface, the vocals deliver each line with restrained intensity, like holding back the urge to spiral into hysteria, whether from rage or sorrow. Drums and guitar move with patience, allowing each fleeting moment to fully form in the verses before distortion returns beneath the chorus. There, the song’s title becomes a pained refrain, echoing its central, aching realization: what was once beautifully routine now feels peculiar, foreign even to the one who lived it.
As the song moves into its third act, the scenes grow more intimate and the lyrics deepen with vivid colors to paint the memory with richer life. The narrative pace slows, lingering on every detail to honor the vast space each moment occupies in your mind. The vocals shy away from sentimentality, maintaining a reserved intensity that burrows deep into the listener’s heart. That concentration is felt in full force in the final choral swell and abstract outro, allowing both to land with devastating sensation. It’s a thrilling, vicarious catharsis, even if the clarity it reaches remains just out of grasp in the song.
“Strange Behavior” is the second single from hbiba, the recording alias of musician Hicham Benhallam, following “Something Here” in March. Like that track and much of his solo work, this new release dives deep into the fleeting present, zooming in on ephemeral moments that linger across a lifetime, even as they clash with the elusive nature at the heart of “Strange Behavior.” The song’s structure and intent flirt with the traditions of memory fiction in art, works that explore the fragility, manipulation, and endurance of memory. The celebrated film Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind naturally springs to mind, but strands of this emotionally driven concept also appear in Lois Lowry’s seminal novel The Giver and Jo Harkin’s more recent speculative work, Tell Me An Ending. Viewed through a different lens, “Strange Behavior” feels like a prelude to those narratives, the emotional groundwork that necessitates the scientific breakthroughs to erase a memory, or the strained psychological state required to even consider such a choice.
Even without this larger context, the song still resonates with its deeply personal anguish, with feelings left unsaid except for the emotional depiction of the memories that unfold. In the end, “Strange Behavior” is a beautifully moving meditation on the aftermath of loss and what it truly means to search for closure while consumed with so much insignificant significance. Through lush, tactile imagery and a sharp, elliptical narrative, it captures the surreal weight of memory and how that can shape our lives for the better… and for the worse.
“Strange Behavior” will be released on Wednesday, July 2 to all streaming platforms, and you can pre-save it now by clicking here. To stay up to date on future releases and updates from hbiba, make sure to follow him on Instagram.
