Their music can be described as guitar-based singer-songwriter rock or folk-rock. It ranges from very delicate and intimate singer-songwriter songs to songs that are stronger, more active and louder. Sam’s smoky, enigmatic voice is the band's best known characteristic. In the seven years between The Great Subconscious Club and Almost Happy the music changed from raw and guitar-based to a more subtle and delicate sound. Sam and Gert write most of the music and lyrics. Most of it is written separately.
Sam mainly tries to express ideas in his songs, and has a hand in writing silly and tongue-in-cheek songs. Gert has one big theme: losing the one you love. While most of the songs are easily accessible and open, some others are strange and incomprehensible. This led Sam to comment: "Listening to the lyrics in the first time, you may find it hard to understand their meaning. When you listen to them a second time you may sense a basic truth in these cryptic words. If you do so, please let me know."
This band appeared in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Doppelgangland) with the song Virgin State of Mind, leading to a boost in popularity.Their most popular song 'Not an addict' can be heard in the movie 'Wild things'.
K's Choice fifth studio album, "Echo Mountain" (after the studios where it was recorded - Echo Mountain Studios in North Carolina) was released on 26 March 2010, with singles "When I Lay Beside You" and "Come Live The Life" being released from the album.
2016 marked the band's first US tour in over 10 years, which the band releasing an accompanying sessions album - The Backpack Sessions later in the year.
In January 2017, the band released a stripped-back re-recording of "Not an Addict." It featured Skin of Skunk Anansie as a guest vocalist, who had previously performed the song live with the group on several occasions.
On 16 March 2018, the band released a live album entitled "Live at the Ancienne Belgique", recorded at a concert (in Dec 2017) in Brussels during the 25th Anniversary tour.
In May 2019, Sam Bettens came out as a trans man.
16
K's Choice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under a moon
And a sky full of stars
But I'm looking at you
We are forever
One perfect kiss
That makes us immortal
For a second that is
16 for good
16 forever
I hear you whisper
Soft and unreal
What if this was our last night
How would that make you feel
I'll never find time
To return what you give
So it's a good day to die
Even better to live
16 for good
16 forever
So here we are
Raising a glass
The moon casting shadows
onto the grass
We are forever
We are that light
We are immortal
We are tonight
16 for good
16 forever
The opening lines of K's Choice's song "16" set the stage for the theme of the song: the fleeting nature of life and the quest for something permanent. Under a moon and a sky full of stars, the singer is with someone they care about deeply, but they are cognizant that this moment in time is just a blip on the radar of eternity. The singer sings of one perfect kiss that makes them immortal for just a second, highlighting how even the most important moments we experience are fleeting.
The line "16 for good, 16 forever" is the crux of the song's message. It seems to refer to the singer's age, but it can also be interpreted as a desire to hold onto a particular moment in time - at 16 years old, life is still mostly ahead of you and there are countless possibilities for the future. The idea of being "16 for good" speaks to the desire to freeze time and hold onto that sense of possibility indefinitely.
The rest of the lyrics reinforce this idea of impermanence and the need to appreciate life while we have it. The line "What if this was our last night, how would that make you feel?" is both a poignant reminder of our own mortality and a call to appreciate the present moment. The singer also acknowledges that they'll never be able to fully repay the person they're with for what they give them, which is why it's important to live every day to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
So here we are
We are currently in this moment.
Under a moon
We are outdoors on a night where the moon is visible in the sky.
And a sky full of stars
The sky is clear and we can see many stars.
But I'm looking at you
Despite the beauty of the night sky, my focus is on you.
We are forever
Our love for each other will never end.
One perfect kiss
We share a kiss that feels perfect in this moment.
That makes us immortal
For a brief moment, our love seems to transcend time and we feel like we will live on forever.
For a second that is
This feeling does not last long, and is only temporary.
16 for good
We are young and in love, and it feels like we will likely be together forever.
16 forever
Our love will last forever, regardless of what happens in the future.
I hear you whisper
You speak softly to me.
Soft and unreal
Your words feel tender and unreal, almost too good to be true.
What if this was our last night
You pose a hypothetical question about this potentially being our last night together.
How would that make you feel
You ask me how I would feel under those circumstances.
I'll never find time
I worry that I will not have enough time to do everything I want in life.
To return what you give
I feel like I will not be able to give you back as much as I have received from you.
So it's a good day to die
I am at peace with the idea of dying, knowing that I have loved and been loved in my lifetime.
Even better to live
However, I also know that living is just as important and valuable.
Raising a glass
We lift our drinks in a toast.
The moon casting shadows
The moon is creating shadows on the grass beneath us.
onto the grass
The grass is underneath the moon's light, creating a contrast of light and dark.
We are that light
We light up each other's lives with our love.
We are immortal
Our love will continue on, even after we are gone from this world.
We are tonight
We are fully present in this moment, enjoying each other's company and the beauty of the night around us.
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.