Yearlong Song Challenge, Day 173: Maeve

Prompt: "A song that has the same exact title as a song that was chosen already for Song Challenge, but is in fact a completely different song"

Selected by Maeve

The same exact title as Laura's song from Day 37

"California"

Chappell Roan

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, 2023

Harkening back to Day 37 and Laura's pick of Phantom Planet's hit (and The O.C. soundtrack superstar), I'm picking another song about the Sunshine State. While Laura's pick is all about the anticipation and excitement of arriving in Cali, Chappel's is about the disappointment she found there. She's begging for a reason to stay there pursuing her dreams, with people telling her that if it hasn't happened yet (success), then maybe it's time to head back to the Midwest. I bet all of those clowns aren't laughing now! 

While I wouldn't say this song is even in my top nine on Chappell's album, it's still great. In fact, I read that it was released as a single in 2020 and didn't succeed, prompting her label (Atlantic) to drop her right after. When she later signed with Sony, it was rereleased as Track 13 on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, proving she was right all along. While she's no longer in the boat to question her move to the west coast, I think rereleasing this song on a successful album after it failed previously is such a power move and proves that there really isn't a timeline for success, opportunity, or luck.