When it comes to new artists and their debuts, I would argue that this is where you show what makes them… them. Basically, first impressions matter. We’re now in the age where an artist can just release a song and THAT’S their debut. So logically, the next step should be as good if not better: the album. This is where ELIO falters a bit in her aptly named “ELIO’S INFERNO”.
The Good & The Bad:
Looking at ELIO’s debut with a comparative eye, I can certainly argue that Olivia Rodrigo made a stronger and more put together first impression. There’s the return of certain musical genres, different instrumental compositions, etc. Then looking at ELIO’S INFERNO, I can see immense skill from a production standpoint and great singing capability. So let’s run with that for a bit.
The good from this album is that the songs are all really well put together, even if they can sound a bit same-y. Drums are this girl’s best friend. Practically every song minus “Godly Behaviour,” “Off my chest” and “new and improved” have a drum forward arrangement. Best part is that they’re super catchy! Now, let’s take a quick peek into the bad then we’ll wrap this up.
Lyrically, this album is… messy. There’s some verses and choruses that work incredibly well for the theming, while others use far too many metaphors to be focused. The best examples of ELIO’s style working really well are “SUPERIMPOSED” and “new and improved”.
I highly suggest giving ELIO a listen and to check out her older stuff. She takes heavy inspiration from The 1975 and Taylor Swift. So if you think mash up is for you, more power to ya! For more on your favorites and unknown check out our Word and Drops sections.
