Artist: ROLE MODEL
Album: oh, how perfect
Record Label: Interscope Records
Recommended Tracks: Track 5 – “say it first”- Track 6 – “thank you for coming”
Up-and-coming artist who goes by the moniker, ROLE MODEL, released his new EP on November 13, 2019. His songs on oh, how perfect, revolve around themes of loneliness and the struggles and experiences that come with the emergence into adulthood. He writes and co-produces his own music and takes inspiration from his own life to create a more personal dialogue between him and his listeners. The six tracks on the EP have dreamy and honest undertones. His style pulls from indie-pop and rap, blending both to create a sound that balances upbeat rhythms with gloomy lyrics. ROLE MODEL is one of the many new DIY-indie artists who gravitates toward the idea of being vulnerable and allowing listeners to connect with the music that they put out. I rate it a three-and-a-half out of five.
The first recommended song, “say it first,” starts off with plucked strings before his raspy vocals. It has a simple start production-wise, but once you get to the chorus, the beat is layered with a drum beat and electronic accents that make the song really catchy and addicting. Lyrically, he’s singing about someone reciprocating the feelings that he has for them but they’re both afraid to acknowledge it, so the other person ends up taking the initiative because he’s nervous.
The second recommended song, “thank you for coming,” is a great way to end the EP considering the content of the song. ROLE MODEL is singing about the people in his past who were mean to him and judged him for being himself. It’s a triumphant song that provides closure and acceptance of what he has gone through in his past as he acknowledges the fact that he is the person that he is today because of these experiences. It has a simple melody and uses simple guitar rhythms, putting the lyrics at the main focus of the song. He expresses a positive outlook on these negative memories and turns them into learning experiences instead. ROLE MODEL’s oh, how perfect is a solid collection of songs that all have catchy musical elements with a deeper layer of lyrical content. I recommend everyone to give it a listen.
