Remi Wolf’s Newest Album Is An Indie Pop Journey Of Her Big Ideas
Wolf’s newest album invites us to sing and skip along, hand and hand with our messiest emotions.
Skye Goba – Staff Writer
Remi Wolf’s Big Ideas album cover, 2024, Spotify, 18 September 2024, <https://open.spotify.com/album/7HQOEMCDGKY8eJyQPdsnYH>
Indie pop artist Remi Wolf began touring on September 10 in Santa Barbara, Calif, following the summer release of her third album Big Ideas on July 12, 2024. Full of upbeat and funky tunes, Big Ideas takes us on a journey through Wolf’s messy thoughts and emotions without any sugar-coating. Her melodies are interesting and catchy as she weaves influences of the 60s and 70s psychedelic genre with modern pop. Underneath the energetic instrumentals are lyrics both silly and vulnerable, diving into her own insecurities and worries such as being too much to handle, the reality of working in the music industry and the not-so-great parts of her relationships.
I would recommend this album to anyone who enjoys the more upbeat and funky side of indie. I would compare her dramatic and emotional side to artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray and Chappell Roan and the style of her songs to Dominic Fike and BENEE.
After seeing the 28-year-old California native live in 2022 on Lorde’s Solar Power tour, I was captivated by her natural energy, spunky attitude and incredible vocals; her new album certainly reflects this. The way these theatrics translate into this album makes it perfect for dancing around my bedroom in pajamas with an invisible microphone.
The record starts off strong with Cinderella where she declares personal control of her emotions, despite their constant ups and downs. The line “Like Cinderella making babies on the company dime” represents how she feels like the world views her as this princess, when in reality she’s working extremely hard only for the money to go to the record label. As the song goes on, she questions if she is good enough and if there is something wrong with her, then goes on to reaffirm that she is doing okay. Wolf said “This song was me stepping in as my own fairy godmother telling myself that I was in control.” There is a clear contradiction in Soup, another favorite of mine. It feels like a huge serotonin release that makes me dance until I drop, but at the same time the lyrics give a sense of worry and doubt. Wolf’s vocals shine in Toro, a lighter, sillier song simply about making love. Pitiful has bubbly instrumentals as she sings in a playful tone about feeling sorry for herself.
The final song on the record, a bonus track called Slay Bitch, really brings out the “funky” in Wolf’s self-described genre of “funky soul pop” as it serves to end the album on a lighthearted, empowering note. This album is a reminder to embrace all parts of life to their fullest, no matter how messy things may seem. Compared to her previous projects, Big Ideas is quite a step forward in her career while still implementing her signature sound.
