Unexceptional from meadowhip is anything but. The pulsing production, kiss-off lyricism, and pop sensibility make for a tasty debut.
When Australian singer-songwriter/poet, meadowhip was asked what her solo project would cover, she remarked, the big three: “Capitalism, patriarchy, and myself”. Aside from being an iconic statement, it’s a clever angle.
meadowhip is not here to be taken for a ride. We see this in her debut single, Unexceptional, in which an arrogant white guy gets knocked down a few rungs to the sultry sounds of R&B.
Though this is the artists’ debut single, you may already have heard her in Territories, the Wollongong indie-pop outfit. So what brought about the change to a solo moniker?
Unfortunately, Cara (meadowhip), experienced a stroke in 2020, but this became a catalyst for the long-time artist to begin her solo venture.
“Once I could think straight, I guess I thought for maybe the first time in my life”.
Recording with industry heavyweight Chelsea Warner, the two created Unexceptional, which has garnered radio play, Spotify playlist adds, and thousands of streams. Let’s discuss the track.
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Wavy synths, 70s drum breaks, and jangly guitars soundtrack meadowhips’ dissection of that “guy at the office with a swagger and questionable competence”.
The lyrics are hilariously brutal, “Is your mother proud of what you’ve become?”, meadowhip chants while floating above the soundscape, with a tongue-in-cheek teeter between sarcasm and sincerity.
For lovers of Frank Ocean’s analytical antics on Channel Orange, this single is definitely going to scratch the same itch. However, this track wouldn’t be the hit it is without meadowhip’s firm grip on pop hooks and rhythmic meter. The track is over before you know it – because it’s so damn smooth.
Listen to Unexceptional below:
