Mia Lydia has released her debut EP Know, a five-track collection spanning folk to jazz and detailing a journey of personal growth.
Throughout each entry, Lydia explores themes of imposter syndrome en route to self-empowerment, as soundtracked by an eclectic palette which draws from pop music in all its forms.
The EP opens with Won’t Happen Again, a brooding and atmospheric take on lo-fi bedroom pop that sees Lydia wrestle with unreciprocated romance.
What begins as a synth-drenched reverie of timbered vocals later transforms into glittery electronica, as Lydia sings of emotional abuse atop glitchy sound effects and twinkling piano keys.
The rich and textured production mirrors Lydia’s indecisive reflections, as she flits between feelings of possessiveness and frustration all while maintaining the track’s sultry groove.
The electronic flairs continue on Eberhard, where jittering percussion and airy backing harmonies form the basis of a mesmerising extended instrumental section.
Lydia switches beats on Doing Well, a soft-pop gem dotted with ear-catching moments like subtle drums and tinkling electronic keys.
The more upbeat entry aligns with Lydia’s progression to emancipation, as she reflects on moving on from a troublesome relationship and doing well even though “it feels so wrong.”
Trying her hand at alt indie sounds on AM Radio, Lydia rids herself of people-pleasing behaviours in between jazzy instrumental asides and soft-rock touches like fuzzy guitars and glistening hi-hats.
“A little bit of self direction,” she sings in a shining moment of confidence, “you know you gotta stop this indecision.”
Lydia’s journey concludes on the fittingly climactic EP closer Know, which showcases the singer’s most angelic vocal delivery to date. Here, Lydia adopts the soft-spoken energy of a lullaby, accompanied at first by sparse guitar melodies.
In between whispered backing harmonies and the twang of finger-picked strings, Lydia delivers the EP’s most intimate storytelling yet, recalling moments of heartbreak with vivid sincerity.
It’s a worthy conclusion to Lydia’s journey of self-discovery, and reads like the final entry to the sonic diary that is her own EP.
“I’m quite proud of how I’ve overcome the self-doubt that held me back after years of feeling incapable,” Lydia said of Know in a press statement.
“This EP is a symbol of that achievement.” With her new offering as evidence, Mia Lydia is poised to steal the spotlight with her intimate yet universal ruminations on coming-of-age.
Listen to Mia Lydia’s new EP Know below.
