‘Will Anybody Ever Love Me?’ Review: Sufjan Stevens Searches for Devotion with a New Sound

“Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” — the second single released in advance of Sufjan Stevens’s album “Javelin” — begins in a familiar place for fans of his music. A rolling, finger-plucked string line evokes the sweetly melancholy tone of his earlier albums. The indie folk singer’s gentle voice floats delicately on the accompaniment, as it did to powerful effect on heartbreaking albums like 2015’s “Carrie and Lowell.” Yet, even the first couple lines make clear that this track, though distinctly Sufjan’s, represents a new direction for the artist as he unites the distinct musical and storytelling styles that have largely remained separated in his discography thus far.

The song begins by layering lyrics dripping with frustration over the calm acoustic accompaniment: “Chase away my heart and heartache / Run me over, throw me over, cast me out.” Stevens isn’t asking about finding love from a place of childlike naivety — his wounded words speak to the ugly struggle to feel worthy of love at all. Piano chords stab through as Stevens accentuates these feelings of loneliness and self-doubt. He despondently insists that the chances of being loved are gone by holding a metaphorical funeral service for his soul: “Tie me to a tiny wooden raft / Burn my body, point me to the undertow.”

Here, some of Stevens’s previous songs would have stuck with this acoustic and emotional timbre, embracing the cathartic sadness that can be found in the resonating strings of an acoustic guitar. Yet, as the track swells into the chorus, he catches listeners by surprise. A pulsing electronic beat joins the mix, serving as a steady heartbeat that imbues Stevens’s voice with cautious optimism as he wonders if someone will “pledge allegiance to my burning heart.” Hope soars from the funeral pyre constructed in the first verse: even when love seems far away, there’s value in insisting that one is deserving of it.

This isn’t the first time Stevens has utilized electronic beats and production in his music, but those experiments were largely confined to a couple of concept albums like the 2020 release “The Ascension.” Now, he powerfully uses these acoustic elements to expand his traditional folk palette and bridge the gap between the personal and expansive stories that have previously remained distinct in his discography.

Indeed, as the drum pads grow and an ethereal chorus join the song, Stevens elevates the struggles of loving and being loved to the divine: “Take my suffering as I take my vow/Wash me now, anoint me with that golden blade.” Though there are no easy resolutions to the frustrations that begin the track, it's worthwhile to embrace the struggles that come with a meaningful relationship.

The song ends in a resolute, even triumphant place. Stevens and his chorus repeatedly sing “My burning heart,” and this declaration drowns out the voices that ask “Will anyone ever love me?” It’s a compelling self-affirmation, and it’s refreshing to hear it coming from Sufjan Stevens’s voice. With this stellar track, Stevens introduces a cohesive and compelling sound to his songbook, one that sits with difficult feelings but still finds cause for celebration.

—Staff writer Andrew K. Choe can be reached at andrew.choe@thecrimson.com.