Appetite

"Appetite" is a vivid exploration of how intense romantic emotions—specifically longing and heartbreak—manifest physically. Arthur Hill uses the metaphor of losing one's appetite to express a love so consuming that it overrides basic survival instincts like hunger. The song's narrative is set uniquely within the context of air travel, using the isolation and heightened emotion often felt on airplanes to amplify the speaker's vulnerability.

The central theme revolves around lovesickness. The narrator isn't just sad; he is physically unwell, "shaking from the nerves" and feeling "sick right to my stomach." This somatic response emphasizes the depth of his connection to the person he is missing. The repeated line "You got me crying on the flight" grounds the song in a very modern, relatable scenario: the public vulnerability of traveling alone while dealing with private turmoil.

Implicitly, the song touches on the transience and instability of modern relationships ("trying to love you long-haul"). The setting of a flight—suspended between two places, high above the ground—mirrors the narrator's emotional limbo. He is neither here nor there, "flying on the wings of love" but also crashing down emotionally. The contrast between the upbeat, catchy production and the lyrics about anxiety and physical illness suggests a facade of normalcy masking deep inner turmoil, much like a passenger trying to keep it together in a cramped airplane seat.

The song opens with the narrator admitting to an unintentional diet, stemming not from a desire for health but from a lack of anyone else who drives them crazy. This physical reaction to emotional turbulence establishes the core theme immediately: love and heartbreak have visceral effects on the body. He describes feeling physically ill, sick to his stomach, to the point where he cannot even take a bite of food. The setting shifts to an airplane, where the narrator imagines the stewardess must hate him for leaving his food cold and untasted, lamenting that a doctor's note might be the only way to explain his condition.

As the journey progresses, the lyrics soar into the chorus, describing hands flying on the wings of love. The altitude serves as a metaphor for heightened emotions; being high above makes him more susceptible to his feelings. The hook delivers the central image: the narrator is crying on the flight, and the mere thought of his partner causes him to lose his appetite. He misses them at the speed of light, and the anticipation of returning home—or the distance from it—leaves him with nothing on his plate physically and metaphorically.

The second verse details the anxiety of the situation, with the narrator shaking from nerves, a condition worsened by coffee. As the plane climbs further up, he feels a loss of control, trying to maintain a long-haul love that feels increasingly unstable. The song captures the specific, disorienting feeling of being suspended in the sky while grappling with heavy emotions, culminating in a repeated confession of his inability to eat or function normally without his partner.

"Appetite" was released as a single on May 22, 2025, and later included in Arthur Hill's EP Missed Again. The track was co-written by Arthur Hill and his frequent collaborator and producer, Danny Casio.

Arthur Hill shared a humorous and specific anecdote about the song's creation in an interview. He and Casio wrote the track during a writing retreat in the Cotswolds, staying in a bizarre Airbnb that Hill described as looking like "somewhere Queen would've written in the '80s." The room featured eclectic decor, including a huge wooden giraffe and terrible Banksy art. despite—or perhaps because of—the strange environment, the creative process was incredibly swift; the duo wrote "Appetite" in approximately two hours using just a mini keyboard and a microphone. Hill noted that they immediately felt the song was special, asking themselves, "Why is this kind of really good?"

The song was teased on social media platforms like TikTok in March 2025, building significant anticipation among his fanbase before its official release. It quickly became a fan favorite, praised for its catchy chorus and relatable lyrics about travel and heartbreak.

The song utilizes a mix of perfect and slant rhymes to maintain a conversational yet melodic flow. In the chorus, "love" pairs with "above," a classic perfect rhyme that reinforces the soaring theme. "Flight" rhymes with "appetite" and "light," tying the setting, the symptom, and the intensity together in a tight sonic package.

Rhythmically, the track is upbeat and driving. The vocal delivery in the verses is rhythmic and slightly syncopated, mimicking the nervous energy of the narrator. The chorus opens up with longer held notes on key words like "flight" and "appetite," allowing the melody to soar, which contrasts with the staccato, anxious delivery of the verses (e.g., "shaking from the nerves"). This interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the steady, driving beat of the instrumental captures the feeling of moving forward (on a plane/in life) while being internally stuck or shaken.

Musical Techniques:

• Juxtaposition: The song employs a classic pop technique of pairing melancholic lyrics with upbeat, danceable production. While the narrator sings about crying and feeling sick, the instrumental is catchy and rhythmic, creating a "sad banger" aesthetic that allows listeners to dance through the pain.
• Stripped-back Verses vs. Full Chorus: The production builds from more stripped-back verses, which highlight the narrative voice, into a full, energetic chorus with backing vocals ("woah-oh's") that add depth and a communal, anthem-like feel.
• Synth Fade-out: Reviewers have noted a distinct "cute" synth fade-out at the end, adding a playful resolve to the track.

Literary Techniques:

• Hyperbole: Phrases like "miss you at the speed of light" and "sick right to my stomach" use exaggeration to convey the intensity of the emotion.
• Sensory Imagery: The lyrics engage the senses, specifically taste (or lack thereof with the cold food) and physical touch/feeling (shaking, body don't feel right), grounding the abstract emotion of love in physical reality.

Since its release in 2025, "Appetite" has cemented Arthur Hill's status as a rising star in the indie-pop scene. It was a pivotal single leading up to his EP Missed Again and his sold-out European tour.

• Fan Reception: The song resonated deeply with his fanbase (often referred to as having a "cult-like" devotion), particularly for its relatable depiction of travel anxiety and heartache. The line about "crying on the flight" became a popular soundbite on social media platforms like TikTok, where users shared their own travel "fail" stories or emotional travel montages.
• Critical Acclaim: Reviews praised the song as one of his "best releases," highlighting his ability to blend "sad-boy sincerity with radio-ready hooks." It is considered a key track in his discography that showcases his growth from a content creator to a serious musician with a knack for storytelling.
• Live Performance: The song became a staple of his live sets, known for its high-energy performance where the crowd often sings back the "appetite" hook, transforming a song about isolation into a moment of communal connection.

The song relies heavily on travel imagery to symbolize emotional distance and instability.

• The Flight/Altitude: The airplane setting represents a state of suspension and vulnerability. Being "high above" symbolizes both the euphoria of love ("wings of love") and the precariousness of the relationship. The altitude "makes me more emotional," linking physical elevation with heightened sensitivity.
• Loss of Appetite/Diet: The titular metaphor serves as a symbol for emotional consumption. The narrator is so "fed" by his feelings (or starved of his love) that he cannot consume actual food. The "diet" is involuntary, highlighting his lack of control over his own body when he is in love.
• Coffee and Nerves: The mention of coffee making the shaking worse symbolizes the attempt to function normally or stay awake/alert in a situation that requires calm, further highlighting his anxiety and physical dysregulation.
• Speed of Light: Missing someone at the "speed of light" suggests an intensity that defies normal temporal bounds, emphasizing how quickly his thoughts return to the partner regardless of physical distance.

"Lose my appetite" / "Nothing on my plate": This is the central hook and motif. Its repetition reinforces the obsessive nature of the narrator's feelings—he literally cannot move past this physical blockage. Variations like "Got nothing on my plate tonight" emphasize the emptiness he feels without his partner.

"Crying on the flight": This specific image is repeated to ground the song in a distinct location. It serves as the anchor for the listener's mental image, turning a generic breakup song into a specific scene (the "sad traveler") that many can visualize or identify with. The repetition validates the absurdity and tragedy of crying in such a public, confined space.