The new EP from alt-pop singer-songwriter Becky CJ is a wandering journey into young romance and self-love. Her animated vocal play, layering and soaring melodies create a sound very similar to that of WILLOW.
‘Losing Your Perspective’ is one hell of an opener, a soundscape that draws from alt-pop forerunner BANKS, making use of darker electronic production. Becky told LOCK Magazine: “My friend – who is now my girlfriend – had never had a relationship with a girl before and I had this feeling that she was losing her grip on who she was every time we hooked up”. The lyrics are aptly heart-wrenching:
“We fall with our mouths wide,
We fall with our tongues tied,
I see you questioning every movement,
I see you wondering why we do this”.
Muted and hesitant, ‘I Think I’m in Love with my Best Friend’ is more gentle. Soft piano chords allow some brilliant lyricism to really come to the forefront. Steeped in doubt, desire and yearning, the song acknowledges the difficulty of declaration, with the last repeated line “I’m not quite there”. There is more crafted lyricism on centre stage on ‘Woman‘, a synth and string-heavy track that evokes a celestial exploration of space through metaphor and sonics. On first listen, I couldn’t work out whether this track is a love letter to Becky CJ’s girlfriend, or perhaps to herself? Either way, this is a beautiful song that weirdly reminds me of Billy Joel’s ‘She’s Always a Woman‘.
‘I Could Never Love the Same‘ is the final track on the EP, opening with sprightly keys that set the stage for a sweet love ballad. True to form, the song reassures someone who is “Caught up trying to find devotion“. As a child of divorced parents, I can relate to the worry of fading love, yet Becky asserts herself. “Don’t ask me if I’ll always feel the same, because how we love is going to change” is kind and considerate, and quite a realistic perspective. As the track moves forward with its percussion, the worried lover is comforted with the knowledge that “This feeling belongs only to you”.
Overall, ‘Woman‘ seems more experimental than Becky’s last EP, ‘I Can’t Be the Only One Like This‘, and perhaps a little less sonically cohesive. Still, with a wealth of releases and viral TikToks under her belt, Becky CJ is certainly going places.
