3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Marie Ulven Ringheim, better known as indie pop artist girl in red, takes a big leap with the release of her sophomore album “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” Released April 12, this album follows the legacy of her first studio album “if i could make it go quiet” released April 30, with elements of indie pop and rock.
Like her previous music, many of the tracks on this album focus on the emotionally challenging aspects of her life. However, this album contains themes of self-love and a newly gained confidence, which demonstrates the mental growth girl in red has experienced in the past three years.
Girl in red released three fast-paced singles previous to the album to start off the new era: “DOING IT AGAIN BABY,” “Too Much” and “You Need Me Now?,” which featured Sabrina Carpenter. These songs will make listeners get up and dance as they listen to the captivating mixture of drums and guitar. Not only do these singles possess fun, animated beats, but the lyrics also portray extremely positive messages to listeners: “Nothing’s gonna stop me if I say this is what I want / I’m loving this new self-esteem” as she sings in “DOING IT AGAIN BABY.” It’s refreshing to see her embrace her usual indie-pop style while also being able to change the overall mood of a handful of the songs.
The album opener “I’m Back” contains some of the most emotional, eye-opening lyrics on the album. The track is used as a way to announce to fans that she has reached a point in her life where she feels like herself again. She acknowledges the fact that she still struggles with daily mental health battles, but she pushes a positive message of getting up and trying. This song substitutes for a pat on the shoulder, letting people know that sometimes showering is just enough: “Living life in gray did something to my brain / But, hey, I took a shower today.”
She also alludes to one of her past hit songs, “Serotonin,” featured on her opening set list for Taylor Swift’s The Era’s Tour: “I’m in the field of daisies and this time feels amazing.” If familiar with the old track, this lyric is incredibly impactful. It shows her mental health progression and how long she has come. Girl in red no longer sees the field of daisies as a last resort to feel happy. She is content with where she is and can acknowledge the beauty life has to offer. “I’m Back” is the ideal opener to showcase her newfound confidence.
“Phantom Pain” brings listeners back to her original roots of pulling heartstrings. The song talks about how her lover deceived her. In this scenario, the term “phantom pain” refers to the emotional damage she now feels as the result of this failed relationship. She says: “I was already hooked with phantom pains / Nothing left for me to do / But lay around and think of you.” The relationship was one-sided. She ended up being the only one hurt in the end. The vocal element that makes this song stand out on the tracklist is the use of voice distortion in the last 30 seconds of the song. The repetitive lyrics: “But let me love you, let me, let me, let me love you if you let me” with the mixture of her voice getting louder, more distorted and desperate really take a final jab at the listeners’ heart.
“I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” does an outstanding job of establishing where the young artist now is within her mental health journey — a journey fans have been following for so long. Using a unique mixture of drums, guitar and switching to slow piano, listeners will never know when it’s time to get up and move or to sit down and cry. However, the album does have a rather short run time of 27 minutes and 56 seconds. Each song is around two minutes and 30 seconds. When streaming, the album will leave listeners wanting to hear more. Some of the songs build up to an incredible peak, but never reach it. A longer runtime would have benefited this album and provided listeners with more to appreciate.
This album is an outlet for those who struggle with mental health. Girl in red pushes the narrative of taking one day at a time, and how healing isn’t always going to be linear. After a full listen, it will give room for listeners to look at life through a new lens. Things will get better. After all, “Time doesn’t stop for a sad little girl” as mentioned in “I’m Back.”
