It's been a while since Chvrches dropped "Screen Violence," but some tracks just don't quit. They stick. You know that feeling when a song catches you off guard in the middle of a grocery run or a late-night drive? That’s "Beauty Is Empty." It’s track ten on an album that already feels like a fever dream of 80s synth-pop and modern anxiety. But there’s something specifically jagged about the beauty is empty lyrics that makes you want to pull the car over and actually look at the screen you’ve been staring at for six hours straight.
Lauren Mayberry has this way of sounding sweet while she’s basically gutting the digital age with a dull knife. It’s a contrast. It’s jarring. Honestly, it’s why the band works.
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The Raw Reality Inside the Beauty Is Empty Lyrics
Let’s get into the actual words. The song starts with this cold, mechanical vibe. It feels like waking up in a room with too many fluorescent lights. When Mayberry sings about how "the beauty is empty," she isn't just complaining about a bad filter on an Instagram post. It’s deeper. It’s about the hollow feeling of chasing an aesthetic that doesn't actually exist in the physical world.
Think about the line: "Blood on the floor of the gallery." That’s not a subtle image. It suggests that art—or the way we present ourselves as art—is costing us something visceral. We’re bleeding for the sake of the "look." We’re trading our actual, messy human experiences for a polished, empty version of beauty that fits inside a 1080p frame.
The repetition in the chorus serves a purpose. It’s like a mantra. Or maybe a warning. By the time she reaches the end of the song, the phrase "beauty is empty" feels less like a statement and more like a realization that everyone arrives at eventually, usually when they’re alone at 3:00 AM scrolling through someone else's vacation photos.
Why Screen Violence Was the Perfect Home for This Track
You can't talk about this song without looking at the album context. Screen Violence was released in 2021, a year when we were all basically fused to our laptops. The theme was horror. Not necessarily the "ghost in the attic" kind of horror, but the "someone is watching me through my webcam" kind.
"Beauty Is Empty" acts as a sort of climax for this theme. It addresses the vanity of the digital age. Most people focus on the catchy hooks, but if you listen to the production—Iain Cook and Martin Doherty really leaned into the distorted, almost industrial synth sounds here—it sounds like a machine breaking down. It sounds like the internet crashing.
Decoding the Meaning of the Void
Is it a pessimistic song? Maybe. But I’d argue it’s more of a "get real" moment.
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We live in a culture that rewards the "empty." We like things that look perfect because perfect things don't ask anything of us. A perfect sunset on a screen doesn't make you feel cold. A perfect face in a magazine doesn't have bad breath or a complicated history. But that’s the trap. Because it's empty, it can't sustain you.
- The song highlights the performative nature of modern life.
- It questions the value of the image versus the value of the person.
- It mirrors the exhaustion of trying to maintain a brand.
The beauty is empty lyrics tap into a collective burnout. We’re tired of being "on." We’re tired of the gallery. Sometimes, the blood on the floor is the only real thing left.
The Contrast Between Sound and Substance
If you just dance to it, you’re missing the point. That’s the Chvrches trick. They make you move while they tell you the world is ending. The bridge of the song is particularly haunting. It slows down, the layers peel back, and you’re left with this naked admission of feeling lost in the static.
It reminds me of something Shirley Manson (from Garbage) might have written in the 90s. There’s that same "happy-sad" energy. It’s a middle finger to the expectation that women, especially women in pop music, have to be decorative. Mayberry has been very vocal about the online abuse and the "pretty girl" expectations she’s faced throughout her career. In that context, this song feels like a manifesto. She’s saying, "Fine, look at the beauty, but know there’s nothing for you inside of it."
What Most People Miss About the Lyrics
A lot of listeners think this is just a song about makeup or fashion. It’s not. It’s about the soul-crushing weight of expectations.
When the lyrics mention "cutting off the parts you don't need," it’s a terrifying metaphor for how we edit ourselves. We delete the parts of our personality that don't "fit the grid." We crop out the mess. We filter the sadness. Eventually, if you cut enough away, there’s nothing left. You’re just a shell. You’re empty.
I think about this every time I see a "perfect" influencer apology video or a corporate brand trying to act "relatable." It’s all calculated beauty. And it’s all hollow. Chvrches saw this coming from a mile away.
Technical Brilliance in the Songwriting
From a technical standpoint, the song uses a lot of minor keys and dissonant chords to build tension. This isn't "The Mother We Share." It’s darker. The structure doesn't follow the typical pop formula perfectly. It feels a bit more erratic, a bit more desperate.
The vocal delivery is also key. Lauren doesn't belt this one out like a diva. She sounds almost resigned. There’s a breathiness to the verses that makes it feel like she’s whispering a secret to you in a crowded room. She’s telling you that the party is fake and the lights are going to blow out any second.
Actionable Takeaways for the Listener
So, what do you do with this information? How do you move forward after the beauty is empty lyrics have successfully ruined your afternoon?
You stop trying to be a gallery piece.
- Audit your digital consumption. If you’re following people who make you feel like your "mess" is a flaw, hit the unfollow button. They’re likely chasing the same empty beauty the song warns about.
- Embrace the "ugly" parts of your day. Real life isn't curated. The things that make you human are the things that wouldn't look good in a photo—the frustration, the sweat, the unorganized kitchen. That’s where the substance is.
- Listen to the album in order. To really get the impact of "Beauty Is Empty," you need to hear the tracks that come before it. It’s a journey through a digital nightmare, and this track is the moment where the protagonist finally stops running and looks in the mirror.
Stop looking for meaning in things designed to be looked at. Start looking for meaning in things designed to be felt. The next time you hear that synth line kick in, remember that the emptiness isn't a bad thing—it's a space you can fill with something real.