Raging alternative pop is still alive with Grace Ives

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Raging alternative pop is still alive with Grace Ives

The American Grace Ives, author of the brilliant ‘Babyyy’ (2016), is one of the current names in alternative electronic pop to take into account, and her album ‘Janky Star’ (2022) corroborated this.

Next Friday their new album, ‘Girlfriend’, will be released, which includes among its co-producers Ariel Rechtshaid, whom you know from his work with Sky Ferreira, HAIM and Charli xcx. No fan of these artists should miss the singles taken from ‘Girlfriend’, such as ‘Dance with Me’, which combine pop melody and a twisted treatment of synthesizers, in the same way as a Lorde or Vampire Weekend. In fact, producer John DeBold, who has collaborated with Ezra Koenig, is another of the names involved.

Other succulent previews like ‘Avalanche’ have recently been added to ‘Stupid Bitches’, which closes the album and today we choose it as Song of the Day.

‘Stupid Bitches’ is the most confrontational single of the four, lyrically and sonically. The drums on ‘Stupid Bitches’ sound epic, thunderous and bombastic, while the synths create a “wall of sound” of penetrating and tempestuous electronic textures. All of this leads to a chorus full of rage, but melodic.

In ‘Stupid Bitches’, Ives does not allow herself to be hurt again by a person who has treated her badly. She no longer looks down on herself, accepts the shame of heartbreak (“I allow myself to be ashamed”), recognizes that the other person was not innocent either (“you are not a victim of my loneliness”) and comes out stronger from the experience (“I won’t break after all / I am a bullet in the path of an arrow”).



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Simon Müller

Simon Müller is the driving force behind UMusic, embodying a lifelong passion for all things melodious. Born and raised in New York, his love for music took form at an early age and fueled his journey from an avid music enthusiast to the founder of a leading music-centered website. Simon's diverse musical tastes and intrinsic understanding of acoustic elements offer a unique perspective to the UMusic community. Sporting a dedicated commitment to aural enrichment and hearing health, his vision extends beyond just delivering news - he aspires to create a network of informed, appreciative music lovers. Spend a moment in Mueller's company, and you'd find his passion infectious – music isn’t simply his job, it’s his heartbeat.