I am a huge sucker for pop music. My love for this genre may or may not have stemmed from my adolescent obsession with boybands, but that is beside the point. Regardless of how I came to love this style of music, I am always looking for fresh, new sounds on the pop scene, and Sizzy Rocket has delivered just that with her sophomore album, Grrrl.
Rocket is a Los Angeles-based alt-pop musician known best for her tracks “Bestie” and “Girls to the Front.” Her sultry and fearless pop sound has earned her albums and EPs a top spot in my favorites playlist, and Grrrl is no exception.
Unexpected but fresh beats
Image from Josie Nelson
Pre-Grrrl, I had come to love Rocket’s lovesick pop songs, but this album brought something new to the table. Grrrl delivers an upbeat retelling of what Rocket describes as the sounds of her falling in love, with most of the songs being about her current girlfriend. Tracks like “King Cobra” and “Summertime Wine” still qualify as love songs and stick to the story Rocket is telling, but they’re spicier and more upbeat.
Meanwhile, the second-to-last track, “Drive,” comes in slow with sentimental and meaningful lyrics while still managing to incorporate some intense beats that are worth dancing to. Although a little bass-heavy, this track is still danceable and fun.
Is it an album or a storybook?
Rocket has consistently been very clear about the purpose of this album, which is to tell a story. Her tweets leading up to Grrrl all talked about how these songs came from the heart and really mean something to her. The pace and lyrics of this album really shine through to make this known. It starts slow and introduces us to the story, and then consistently changes pace afterward.
Grrrl starts out with the album’s namesake, “Grrrl.” This track flawlessly introduces us to where Rocket was emotionally when she started recording this album; a little lost, a little confused, and ready to start a new project. “Grrrl” is very existential and relatable, bringing the listener right into the storyline from the beginning and taking them along for the ride.
I am personally a fan of music that I can sink into and enjoy based on a personal connection, so this is a perfect start to the album in my book.
From there, the tracks were obviously ordered to tell the rest of the story chronologically, and it works. We start with the existential introduction, followed by the ups and downs of a love story, and end with the carefree present day, taking the whole journey with Rocket. The story gets especially real and personal with “Tulsa,” which features Rocket’s girlfriend, Lauren Sanderson.
Lyrics don’t take off
Though this album is executed incredibly well, I will say that I was still expecting a little bit more lyrically. This expectation arose right after Rocket tweeted describing her track “Drive” as her own personal “Bohemian Rhapsody”/magnum opus:
So clearly, I was expecting a lyrical masterpiece, but I was met with excellent beats paired with lyrics that were decent but not up to par with what I expected. I love Rocket’s lyrics, but these seemed a little more repetitive than most and did not quite deliver.
While I love all of the tracks on Grrrl, I was looking for more lyrically from multiple songs. Even some of my favorite tracks like “King Cobra” and “Diamonds are Forever” have some good lyrics, but don’t necessarily live up to what I thought they would be.
However, my love for the track “Sid Vicious” made up for the expectations I had for “Drive,” because it contains lyrics that are deeply personal, beautiful, and clever.
A positive contribution to pop
Image from Josie Nelson
Aside from disappointing lyrics, this album makes a great contribution to pop music and to my Spotify library. The funky, groovy, sultry, alt-pop that Rocket has been bringing to the table since the beginning of her career was definitely polished and better than ever this time around.
Tracks like “Tattoos” and “Attached” keep that Sizzy Rocket vibe that listeners are accustomed to while also offering something a little more funky and unexpected.
Even with my complaint about lyrical issues, Rocket still managed to blow me away with this album. It’s something to blare in the car with the windows down all summer, so Grrrl really came out just in time.
Top Tracks:
Tulsa
Diamonds are Forever
Sid Vicious
Recommended if you like:
Lauren Sanderson
King Princess
Zella Day
Featured Image: Twitter
Images: Josie Nelson
For more entertainment related content, visit us at Byte BSU!
