Released: 2024
Chance Peña’s “Is What It Is” captures the bittersweet nature of love and time. The song talks about how hard times are temporary, even though they might feel overwhelming in the moment. There’s a hopeful tone suggesting that with love and patience, things will get better. It’s all about finding peace in the present, even when it’s tough.
In the opening lines, “You hate that time is moving faster / Feels like the closing of a chapter,” Peña addresses the frustration of feeling like time is slipping away too quickly. It’s like the end of an important part of life. The line, “We’ll be laughing at this after the fact,” shows that eventually, they’ll look back and find humor or peace in the situation.
The song delves into heartache and miscommunication with lines like, “Heartaches and silent conversations / Too good and overcomplicated.” This highlights the pain and complexity in their relationship. They feel lost, but there’s a glimmer of hope as Peña sings, “We’ll find a way we could work this out.” The phrase “it is what it is right now” suggests acceptance of their current situation, even if it’s imperfect.
In the chorus, Peña repeats, “I don’t have the words to make this right / A way to fix it all tonight,” showing his vulnerability. He acknowledges that he can’t solve everything instantly but assures, “But you got all my love, all my love, all my love.” It’s a promise that love will persist, despite the hardships.
The line, “It’s dark today but the sun gon’ rise / Can’t rush the dawn before it’s time,” brings in a powerful metaphor. Darkness represents their current struggles, but the promise of dawn symbolizes hope and a new beginning. Peña reminds us that healing and change take time, and you can’t force them to happen quickly.
Finally, reflecting on the past with lines like, “Remember all the things we dreamed of? / Back then, there was nothing we were scared of,” Peña recalls a time when their love was carefree and full of possibilities. Despite the current troubles, there’s a longing to return to those simpler times. However, he circles back to acceptance, recognizing that “it is what it is right now.” This acceptance is not resignation but a recognition that with time and love, they’ll move past this and find joy again.
