After The Applause

Intro (breath, tape hiss, distant hum)

Verse 1
They left the roses on the floor
Lipstick on the dressing room door
All the mirrors learned my name
But none of them look the same

I wore the crown, it cut me deep
Gold gets heavy when you keep
Every promise, every lie
Every version of “goodbye”

Pre-Chorus
I thought winning would feel loud
But it sounds like nothing now

Chorus
After the applause
I’m still here breathing
No more gods
No more kneeling

I don’t need a throne or war
To know what I’m standing for
After the applause
I choose me

Verse 2
The girl I was still walks with me
Barefoot, scared, but finally free
She doesn’t ask to be believed
She just wants somewhere to sleep

I don’t blame the crowd or lights
They only loved the fight
But I’m learning how to stay
When nobody calls my name

Pre-Chorus
I don’t need to be adored
To feel worth coming home

Chorus
After the applause
I’m still breathing
No more saints
No more demons

I don’t need a scarlet score
To prove what I’ve survived before
After the applause
I choose me

Bridge (soft, almost spoken)
If this is peace
It’s smaller than I thought
But it fits in my chest
And it doesn’t hurt

Final Chorus (stripped, then gentle swell)
After the applause
I’m still human
Still in love
Still in ruin

But I don’t trade my quiet nights
For borrowed crowns or borrowed light
After the applause
I stay

Outro
No curtain call
Just me
And that’s enough.

Ambient alt-pop, art pop, indie minimalism