Illume - is this the best?

[elni]

I absolutely love 'Illume'!!
I couldn't stop playing that song over and over again,
right from the moment i heard it for the the first time.
It's like a chant, it swimming around in my head all the time.

[Sorcerer386]

For those who think this song is too sel-indulgent, Stevie has stated that she didn't want to, nor could write this song about how other people were feeling because she didn't know. Personally I think if she HAD tried to write a more universal song it would have just come out bland and a little too trendy...like she's trying to feed off of the tragedy -- for example the country song, can't remember the singer or the song name, but I know he wrote the song and put it out right away. I want to say Alan Jackson, but I could be wrong. Even South Park made fun of him for doing that. I'm glad Stevie took a very public event and made it personal for her.

[sparky]

I like this song, mostly for the production. Is it great ? Nope. Not in my opinion. As a fan, I can appreciate the imagery, and the vocal is top notch. But, the reaction I have had from people who don't really know the backstory is "What the hell is she talking about ?" And that is telling.

For a song to ascend to greatness, the listener shouldn't have to work so hard to understand it. Of course we can get it, but many people can't.

To say that someone is being too specific and too vague at the same time sounds impossible, but I think it describes the song.
Stevie does this a lot. The details are there - but they aren't details that serve to make the story accessible or universal.
We know all about the damned candle - we are told nothing about the trauma.

The details confuse rather than enlighten. I don't think the song is streamlined, concise storytelling. Which is fine. It still works for me. But I don't think it's close to being her finest work.
Too muddled. It needed editing and clarification.