Kershaw considers Arcadia a meant to be heard as a "journey and an infinite loop".
Lines like "we’ll never know if our love could have grown" highlight the tragedy of a love lost to circumstance or internal struggles, such as the subject being "scared and alone" or "longing to feel but nothing that's real". Lily Kershaw - Now & Then
While the album as a whole features "sleeker pop production" than her debut, "Now & Then" serves as a bridge back to her earlier, more intimate acoustic style. Kershaw considers Arcadia a meant to be heard
The lyrics contrast "the way I love you now" with "the way that I loved you then," suggesting that while love persists, its form has changed to the point of being unrecognizable. " suggesting that while love persists