Galactic Heartbeats
Do we have the power to change the world with our kindness?
Listen to Galactic Heartbeats on your favorite music app.
Meaning
"Galactic Heartbeats" reflects on how small we are in the vastness of the universe and how powerful our empathy can be in contrast to that indifference. The song questions how we cope with comfort and peace while others experience war, famine, and trauma. It expresses the guilt, doubt, and helplessness many feel when faced with distant suffering: Is donating enough? Do small actions really help?
While we may not control the universe, we do control how we treat one another. The repeated line "The universe doesn't care, but I do" becomes an emotional declaration of compassion and accountability. It’s a reminder that even small acts of kindness, like a sincere compliment or a hug, can ripple outwards, transform someone’s path, and inspire meaningful change. The song encourages us not to dismiss our individual power, but to start with kindness and let that kindness grow.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this song came after seeing a lot of suffering on social media. We must be the first humans who've ever been able to experience first-person videos of someone living through war and famine on social media. It's so easy to scroll through and see clips from a mother in Palestine who lost her child in a bombing, women losing their rights in Afghanistan, people running from sirens in the war in Ukraine, or famine in refugee camps in Syria. That’s just a few examples.
It made me think about why I'm living in such peace while others are enduring unimaginable hardship. And what can those of us who live in peace really do to help those suffering far away?
We always doubt ourselves whether we truly have the ability to change the world, make a difference, or help others, especially for those of us who are kind and empathetic. Is donating enough? Does it really reach them? Is sharing posts or spreading awareness online enough? Can we do anything without physically going there and helping on-site?
I wrote this song to remind people, especially those living in peace, that others are suffering elsewhere. And that we do have the power to change the world. It starts with choosing to be kind. If we begin by being kind to those around us, we can create ripples of kindness that spread globally. Maybe your kindness can save someone’s life, or inspire someone else to donate or volunteer.
A true story of how one hug can change lives:
One story that deeply stayed with me came from an older friend who told me about his friend, someone who had grown up in a refugee camp in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He was just six years old when he lost his entire family and had to survive alone on the streets. He carried deep anger and hatred for the world.
One day, a volunteer lady lined up all the orphaned children and gave each one a long, genuine hug. When it was his turn, he started to cry. It was the first time he had felt unconditional love in a long time. That single hug changed his life. He said that if not for that moment, he might have grown up bitter and even turned to crime. But instead, he found the strength to eventually give back through volunteer work.
That story helped me understand how powerful even the smallest act of kindness can be. Whether it's a hug or a sincere compliment, we don’t need to donate a lot of money or fly to a warzone to make a difference. Everyone is capable of making an impact, often in ways far more meaningful than we imagine.
Behind the Music Video
As the director and editor of the music video for "Galactic Heartbeats," I wanted to visually communicate 2 core themes:
The first theme is the contrast between comfort and suffering. In the first verse, I chose a cozy, warm scene of myself reading "I Am Malala" wrapped in a scarf, representing comfort, safety, and learning. This sharply contrasts with the harsh reality of a Muslim girl being beaten for reading the same book in Afghanistan, symbolizing oppression and violence against women's education.
The second verse showed my internal struggle about donating online from the comfort of a beautiful office, juxtaposed with the devastating reality of a mother hysterically crying over her deceased child in Palestine. These scenes intentionally force viewers to confront their own comfort against the backdrop of distant suffering.
The second theme revolves around our shared humanity and interconnectedness, despite being small and insignificant within the vastness of the universe. I selected montages that showed shared human experiences and emotions, the human life cycle, and our connections to nature. It communicates the idea that while our lives are temporary, the choices we make and how we treat each other can create meaningful and lasting impacts.
The final scenes show people of various ages, genders, ethnicities, and societal roles shedding their uniforms, symbolizing the letting go of labels and roles and revealing the common humanity underneath. This ends in an intimate celebration of empathy, unity, and joyful acceptance of each other as humans first and foremost.
ps. This video had a very small budget, and most of the cast are my friends and family (including my dad and 95-year-old grandpa). This makes it feel even more authentic and emotionally significant to me. I hope this meaningful connection goes through to you, the viewer, as well.
Lyrics
Why is my world in peace when the other side is insane?
Should I enjoy myself when somebody else is in pain?
Will I ever understand the scared child
And the father who beats her, too?
Will we ever remember that our hearts beat?
For our minds
For our sanity
For our hearts
Can we make a safe space
On this crazy rock floating around the galaxy?
It’s hard to believe that I can change the world
And when I click donate, can I change someone’s fate?
Will I ever feel the grieving mother
And the soldier who killed her child?
Will we ever remember that our hearts beat?
For our minds
For our sanity
For our hearts
Can we make a safe space
On this crazy rock floating around the galaxy?
The universe doesn’t care
But I do
The universe doesn’t care
But I do
The universe doesn’t care
But I do
The universe doesn’t care
But I do
Credits
Music
Artist, Composer, & Producer: Tamlin.
Mix & Master Engineer: Max Honsinger
Music Video Crew
Director, Producer, Editor: Tamlin.
Director of Photography: Natthapon Phanpinij
1st Assistant Camera: Chayakorn Wongkrut
2nd Assistant Camera: Supot Jomkeeree
3rd Assistant Camera: Samhingpai Sriwong
Colorist: Leo Hynes
VFX Artist (Laptop shot): Ajesh Thomas
Production Coordinator: Ampika Merkkhwang
BTS Camera: Terapat Im-Aob
Makeup Artist (for Beauty Pageant): Punnaplus Panichpreechakorn
Hair Stylist (for Beauty Pageant): Kwanruen Laokuekulpong
Music Video Cast
Woman Reading, Woman Donating, Asian Granddaughter: Tamlin
Angry Father: Ahmed Sobhy
Scared Daughter: Niziah Suleman
Crying Mother: Cindy Johana Rodriguez
Unconscious Child: Marcos Hawco Rodriguez
Barista: Ali Baykara
Dental Assistant: De De Naing
Construction Worker: Paul Soho
Fashion Designer: Sombun Kringkrai
Soldier: Bradley M. Hayes
Country Girl: Al Salma Ismail
Hippie DJ: Kayla Michelle Hollis
Programmer: Noman Qaiser
Chef: Chaudhry Iftikhar Nabi
Rescue Crew: David Charles James Bailey
Beauty Pageant: Umbun Maikao
Professor: Misbah Suleman
Asian Father: Suwanawat Koeworakul
Asian Grandfather: Damrong Kowvarakul
