Authenticity in music has become somewhat synonymous with introspection. There’s seen to be more heart, more feeling, in a song that’s been stripped back to the bare essentials. Big arrangements, fun hooks, flashy production – they’re a distraction, a barrier between artist and audience, one that blocks them from truly pouring their heart out. It’s not always that simple though. Some emotions are too intense to be confined to a demure, confessional moment of quiet. Sometimes properly expressing and releasing all your pent up personal drama requires just that: Drama! Vent your ire into some incendiary, capture the mess that is your life in art that’s equally messy. Our lives are complex and not all the pieces suit introspection, there needs to be an outlet for all the eclectic, polarising excess too. Be chalant, take big swings, be your entire, unapologetic self.
Night at the Opera sees alt pop artist Emei put on a show. Turning her muddled frustrations and uncertainties into a grand multifaceted spectacle. Donning a new costume for each track before stepping into the spotlight. Granted, there’s still introspection on the playbill. The lo-fi dream pop of ‘Simple Request’, with its rich 90s vibes, fittingly strips things back for a song all about living life in the present, learning to enjoy the calm of the moment. Yet across the rest of the EP, her songwriting remains just as honest and heartfelt no matter how it’s dressed up. The raging venom of ‘What’s The Point!’ channels Guts era Olivia Rodrigo as she deals with the heartbreak of a crumbling friendship, while ‘Noah’ brings playful funky synths to a cautionary tale about getting tangled up with a guy who’s a walking red flag.
‘Bloom’ meanwhile takes a turn into breezy indie rock territory with its bright guitar tone and driving rhythm section. All of that acting as vehicle for Emei’s musings on how hard it is to reach for the life you’ve always wanted, while at the same time feeling changed beyond recognition by all the baggage you carry. But it’s the wild theatricality of the title track that’s the real star of the show. Turning the maxim of the “tortured artist” on its head and pointing the camera directly at an audience that feeds on the chaos of others. My frontrunner for song of the year, Emei turns everything up to 11 for this addictively bombastic piece of maximalist pop.
Fans of Olivia Rodrigo, Griff and Chappell Roan should check out Emei’s new EP Night at the Opera out now!
