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Now, we’re chatting with your faves and taking a deeper look into what makes this music and sound tick. What does it mean to express your truth authentically, no matter how chilling it may get. There’s no holding back.
In case, you’re new: The E-Girl Review takes you through the latest trends in alternative music with an emphasis on what’s young, new, and exciting in a world where music and pop culture news moves faster than we can keep up with. We’re here for all things e-kid and emo.
So, let’s dive into the next up-and-coming alt pop icon:
Grace Ricci’s latest release leaves us stunned with its beautiful simplicity and the truth about creating music
Our favorite new sad-girl singer-songwriter has dropped her latest: “My First Hit” which explores the complex relationship between creators and the guilt that comes with a depression-induced dry streak of, well, creation.
Grace Ricci pours out her candid and real thoughts about how badly she wants to write her first-ever hit song, but feeling held back in so many ways. Thankfully, Ricci didn’t find this song in particular too challenging to write. “This one wasn’t very hard for me to write, because this is one of my more genuine songs for me… it was just like I was ranting in a way,” she explains.
This melancholy and calming melody is paired with lyrics that will hit a bit too close to home for any musicians and artists who have struggled with the same situation. The tune explores the reality of depression, not the sugar-coated fantasy we’re often fed in media and music. Ricci does a fabulous job of using her (at first) seemingly fragile voice to draw you in before captivating you in a way that slowly builds with confidence, in a way that seems to pull you in and mesmerize you before you even know what is happening. Before long, you too can feel the immense weight, the pressure, the need to create.
Ricci’s sounds falls somewhere between Phoebe Bridges (who she cites as a major influence and inspiration) and the likes of e-kid icons Wallows and mxmtoon. It has that clearly 2021 e-girl sound, but in a way that isn’t overbearing or overdone. It’s stripped back, calm, and so easy to get lost in.
It’s clear that, like most artists, Ricci draws inspiration from the world around her, but she translates her feelings, emotions, and stories in a way that is more nurturing yet way more real than most. Simplicity, clarity, are both immediate feelings from listening to the musings of Grace. She doesn’t go overboard or feel the need to overdo her production, she keeps it simple. She says: “I find something so beautiful in finding the importance in the little things.
This isn’t Ricci’s first taste of the industry, either. Grace got her start through her father who filled her life with music and the love and joy it brings. Since then, she’s been writing songs for years, developing her sound, and fine-tuning her craft. “My First Hit” carries similar elements to her other songs. As she cites, it is still just as “somber” as the others. However, she noted that collaboration was a big differentiator for her. “Not only does it sound more polished and more professional than my other songs, but it also is so different behind the scenes. This is the collaborative song that I’ve ever released, and that is a huge step for me.”
In fact, the collaboration aspect led Grace to be even more vulnerable on this track. It’s the sort of thing she’s always been hesitant of in the past, but now she’s opened her heart up with this song and with the people she’s worked with. After all, music and its creation is an act of divulging your truth. What better song for that than one about guilt and inner struggles?
“My First Hit” wasn’t a cure-all for Ricci, either. She admits that “Something that I have really been struggling with is gaining confidence”. Grace attributes this to the “constant ability to check how many people are listening to my music, and the ability to consistently compare myself to other musicians – I find myself struggling with this a lot.”
All in all, Grace’s love for her music and the way it’s laced delicately in her life is admirable and beautiful. Her number one goal for her career in five years is one of the most simple (which is very in line with her character, brand, and sound): “I still want to have the same love that I do for music today. While having a career in music is so important to me, I have a bit of a fear of that love fading away.”
Maybe that’s the largest truth above all others in music. Everyone’s relationship with music and art is different and it’s always changing, growing, and developing. This is true for fans, writers, and performers. Everyone. “My First Hit” explores some of the tougher parts of that journey and it’s a side of this that we need to hear.
“My First Hit” is available everywhere now.
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