Samia is no stranger to an agonizing lyric or two; however, she alone will often pair the intense lyrics with a dance beat. The artist’s 2023 indie pop-rock album “Honey” has proven to be no different in this regard.
The juxtaposition of her music and writing capture the coexistence of the sorrow and bliss found in loving someone, especially as a young person. “Honey” feels like reading an old journal entry and reliving every detail once again, but there is no doubt that the album can feel heavy at times.
We experience this right away in her lead track “Kill Her Freak Out.” A droning organ solo creates an eerie, almost nightmarish ambiance to kick off the album.
Related: [P!nk recalls sounds of 2000s pop on ‘TRUSTFALL’ to mixed effect]
“I’ve never been this bad, can I tell you something? / I’ve never felt so unworthy of loving,” Samia sings over the organ.
These lines are sung as if this confession is being pried out of her. Samia noticeably uses details in her writing that make each song feel painfully personal. It feels like intruding on an intimate moment between two people.
“You said when I come on the radio it makes you wanna die. / Well, if I shut up, can I come inside?” the artist writes in her song “Sea Lions.”
This song is an account of a decaying relationship that has no hope of being recovered. Samia admits that she has no intention to try and fix it, but she wants to reminisce about the things that were good.
Among the heaviest of songs on “Honey” is track three, titled “Pink Balloon.” Here, the artist compares her lover to a pink balloon, in which she does not know if she can hold onto anymore. The muted piano bolsters Samia’s sweet vocals in this upsetting recount of a falling out.
“How are you supposed to want to love me anymore?” the artist asks twice in the last two lines.
Samia does not forget to include a few tracks that encourage dancing. Title track “Honey” is a noticeably lighter song compared to other album tracks. In this one, Samia sings of going to the beach with her friends, drinking a beer and dancing in a little black dress through the streets.
“I’m not scared of sharks, I’m not scared to be naked, I’m not scared of anything,” she sings.
Samia sings of what it feels like to be young, especially the good parts. It is quite a contrast from singing about feeling unworthy of loving earlier in the album.
Related: [COLUMN: Maude Latour spreads the love with latest pop single ‘Heaven’]
That is exactly what makes this album so special, especially being a listener in their early adult years. “Honey” expresses what navigating love feels like as a young person, and that is an experience full of contractions in emotions.
Samia ends the album with “Dream Song,” a song that encapsulates all the memories shared in the album into one song about the fragility of life. The last track on the album evokes a sense of closure, and it is an artistic decision.
Samia’s “Honey” has the remarkable ability to resonate with any listener, in one way or another. Her writing presents a level of honesty that arguably has not been touched by most modern music in the same way.
