The song "Year of Love" by Jenny Hval is about her experience getting married and the societal pressure to conform to traditional gender roles and expectations. She talks about wearing black jeans and codeine to appear "relaxed" during the ceremony, as if it were just a contractual obligation instead of a meaningful union between two people. Hval also touches on the idea of signing a contract with patriarchy and how that can shape one's experience of love and marriage. She contrasts this with her role as a stagehand, someone who works behind the scenes and doesn't necessarily conform to societal norms. The lyrics of "Year of Love" also touch upon the shallow and performative nature of modern love, as demonstrated by the proposal that takes place during one of Hval's performances. She uses a disco flashlight to create a colorful atmosphere for the audience, but it is overshadowed by the normative institution of marriage. Overall, the song is a commentary on the ways in which societal expectations and norms can shape our experiences of love, marriage, and identity. Hval challenges these expectations by embracing her role as a nonconformist stagehand and rejecting the idea that love must conform to a specific mold.
