Stylishly contrasting energy and musical optimism with self-deprecating lyrical honesty, POPSTARR returns to raise the roof and simultaneously connect on a deeply human level, with a brand new full-length project entitled I Told You I’ll Smile Through Everything.
Lyrically dense and musically immersive, even joyful, Erase You kicks things off with equal parts scorn and dance-floor-ready distinction.
Featuring long-form, diary-style emo verses, the song consistently returns to the satisfying, catchy resolve of its hook, and that songwriting strength remains an impressive calling card – the title-line resounds and lingers, along with the tune. A great way to start.
Balancing distorted weight with delicate melodies, Not Here follows on with long-form outpourings that feel almost freestyle-like until the clear structure is realised. That balance continues with the sheer pace and intensity of Let’s Pretend We’re Ok, complete with effective contrasting for impact, and a subject matter openly tied to the album’s title-concept.
POPSTARR wears both heart and mind on a sleeve as a songwriter. The music fills a gap in terms of its pop-punk energy and creative production – not least of all on the EDM rise-up and happy hardcore drop of Safe and Sound (an absolute highlight for the vocal switch, versatility and sound-design combined) – but the writing leans way more towards that of an artist reflecting and wondering about life and regret and tomorrow.
Juxtaposing the former track is the riff-led rise of Antisocial, building slowly but reverting towards the same cascading dance realm with lashings of distortion and another surprisingly memorable hook. The fusion of genres works well, a contemporary twist that’s likely to appeal for both style and topical relevance.
Further intimacy emerges for Were You Really Worth All My Time? – a question most of us have wondered about someone at some point. There’s summertime joy in the musicality, and this paves the way well for the indie-rock emotion and revelations of Someone You Just Forgot – a poignant, heart-breaking closing track, but one with that same essential trait of quietness and chaos carefully intertwined.
Connecting pain with possibility, sadness with hope, and colourful music with dark, distrustful lyrics, I Told You I’ll Smile Through Everything marks yet another chapter of an artist’s journey in a way that’s both relatable and bold. POPSTARR remains true to a certain identity or creative flair, and that quality proves endearing across all releases.
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