Apple Eyes’ “Be,” released on 17 August 2026, is an uplifting, synth-driven pop single from the London duo of Claire Hadidjenar and Matthew Walker, and it wraps thoughts on love, memory and dreams in a nostalgic glow. The opening is patient. Synthesizer, electronic textures and ambient sound effects arrive first and accumulate gradually, so the instrumental arrangement and the atmosphere hold attention before any vocal appears, and curiosity grows about where the song will settle. When Claire’s voice enters, its warm, airy and smooth tone establishes an intimate, reflective setting that stays in place through the moderate, balanced pacing and reaches its fullest expression in the chorus.
Claire writes the lyrics, and her subject is how unpredictable life can be, with all its twists and turns. Work on the song began shortly after the duo adopted their cat Lucille, yet the writing looks beyond any single moment. Its themes of romantic love, memory, nostalgia and dreams place unpredictability in a personal frame, where the twists of life are measured against the connections and memories they leave behind. The strongest elements of the lyric are its emotional honesty and its imagery. The honesty lies in admitting that life cannot be planned for, and the imagery ties memory and dreams to romantic reflection, which produces the song’s bittersweet quality: it looks back on a profound connection with fondness and a little sadness at once. That balance explains the direction of the song, which settles from reflection into acceptance instead of resisting the changes it describes.
Claire’s vocal performance is the first element to register as personal. Her tone is warm, airy and smooth, and the delivery sits between storytelling and soul, with a reflective quality that keeps the lyrics clear and conversational. The airy tone suits the dreamy production because it blends with the lush electronic pads instead of cutting across them, and the sincere delivery never sounds forced, which anchors the nostalgia in something believable. The performance reaches its emotional peak in the chorus, where the intimacy of the verses opens into a fuller expression of the same feeling.
Matthew composes the music, and the instrumental arrangement is where the song’s character is most distinct. Synthesizers and electronic textures are the standout elements. Lush electronic pads form a warm, textured bed for the vocal, the synthesizers carry melody, and the layering is rich yet balanced, so no part crowds the voice. Beneath them, the bass is deep, warm and driving with a groovy pulse, while the drums are tight, energetic and dynamic. That rhythm section keeps the moderate pacing from drifting into pure ambience: the groove gives the nostalgic pads a steady pulse, and the dynamic drumming lifts the chorus, which is also the song’s musical climax. “Be” therefore pairs a dreamlike surface with a firm rhythmic spine.
The production is clean and polished, and the way it was made adds useful context. Apple Eyes recorded “Be” in their London home studio, playing, engineering, mixing and producing everything themselves, and they built a custom synthesizer plug-in named after Lucille specifically for this recording. That level of control shows in how cohesive the sound is: the electronic textures, ambience, bass and drums sit together as one deliberate piece of work instead of a collection of separate parts. The duo names Phoenix, Air, Daft Punk, Bat for Lashes and Of Montreal among their influences, and the synth-led, atmospheric approach of “Be” sits comfortably within that spread of electronic and atmospheric pop.
Claire and Matthew met at university while studying music degrees. Claire was born in Indonesia and raised in Hamburg and Manchester, Matthew was born and raised in the UK, and between them they play guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, piano, violin and trumpet on their own recordings. On “Be,” the focus falls on synthesizers, electronic textures, bass and drums. The song suits personal reflection, headphones and night-time listening, where the layering and ambient detail are easiest to follow. The feelings that linger afterward are reflection, nostalgia and curiosity, the same curiosity that the gradual introduction sets up at the start.
Be Looks Back On A Profound Connection With Warmth And Honesty, Letting Nostalgia And Uncertainty Settle Into Quiet Acceptance.
~ Daniel (DULAXI Team).
“Be” works because its sound and its subject match. A song about the unpredictability of life and the bittersweet pull of memory is carried by a warm, airy vocal and a layered electronic arrangement that stays balanced and rhythmically grounded. I would recommend it to listeners who enjoy emotional storytelling, introspective music and lyrics with real substance, since the clean production, atmospheric arrangement and intimate vocal make it a rewarding listen. For Apple Eyes, the encouragement is to continue refining this unique sound, keep telling authentic stories through music and keep sharpening a distinctive musical voice.
For more information about Apple Eyes, click on the links below.