With a soulful, synth-full and a chill stripped-back delivery , Indigo’s ‘Life on Mars’ offers a refreshing, vulnerable take on finding peace in the unfamiliar.
INDIGO © 2024
Indigo's LIFE ON MARS (Is Not That Bad) is a beautiful ballad that taps into the raw, unfiltered emotions of someone trying to find a sense of peace in an unfamiliar place.
The song’s lush, yet minimalist sound is built around an accordion like pad synth that carries the main progression, giving it an ethereal, almost otherworldly quality, perfectly suited for the idea of life on Mars, a distant and foreign rocky world.
What makes this track truly stand out, though, is Indigo's vocal delivery. There's a stark honesty and vulnerability in his voice that feels refreshing, especially in a musical landscape often dominated by heavy vocal production and heavy autotune use.
In Life on Mars, his voice is allowed to simply be, with no artifice, not extreme modulations or any useless digital embellishments — just pure, unadulterated emotion and delivery.
It’s this authenticity that gives the song its depth, making each lyric feel personal and sincere. Lines like “Life on Mars is not that bad” and “I had my reasons for my goodbye” resonate because of the way Indigo sings them, almost as though he's confessing a truth he's come to accept while advising the listeners to just do the same.
The lyrics themselves explore the complexity of leaving behind what’s familiar in search of something new, and the journey of realizing that, despite the strangeness and isolation, there is a kind of peace to be found in embracing that change.
The recurring refrain, “Life on Mars is not that bad,” highlights the idea that the unfamiliar can sometimes be more comforting than expected—or, more significantly, offer clarity and new beginnings. The song masterfully blends hope with some bitter-sweet melancholy, its uplifting synth riffs in a major key creating a perfect soundtrack for a leisurely Sunday space journey or a ride through uncharted, world landscapes.
There’s an undercurrent of bittersweet nostalgia in lines like “I don’t say I don’t miss my home” and “All that glitters is not pure gold,” yet there’s also a quiet acceptance that comes with being far from everything once known. The sparseness of the arrangement allows these emotions to shine through, creating a delicate, contemplative atmosphere that lingers long after the song ends.
Overall, Life On Mars (Is Not That Bad) is a stunning piece of music and a catchy tune, that feels both timeless yet deeply personal. Indigo’s vulnerability, paired with the striking simplicity yet incredible delivery of the instrumentation, makes this song feel like a conversation with a close friend — one that’s honest, raw, and ultimately uplifting in its acceptance of life’s uncertainties. It’s a reminder that sometimes, change doesn’t have to be scary, and that new beginnings can offer unexpected peace and stability.