It’s often the most radiant of songs that hold the deepest meanings. Molly Millington’s Circus Animal is no exception. While the track’s eccentric and snappy melodies immediately sweep away your attention, the track is brought to a whole other level once you finally click with her ingenious lyricism.
Millington’s sonically vibrant tune quickly transforms into a powerful anthem portraying an artist burnt out by the industry. Circus Animal is collaged beats, unexpected hooks, and layered visuals, all wrapped up in immaculate allegory.
Molly Millington has held nothing back with her debut single Circus Animal. Symbolism, commentary, and irresistible melodies, the song exceeds all expectations.
Released by AWAL, Circus Animal is the product of years of hard work from the Central Coast native. A kaleidoscope of dreamy percussion, ethereal vocals, and fleeting audio bites, Millington’s sound ties beautifully in with the cartoon visuals of her single cover. From the get-go, the listener can almost predict what will play out: lighthearted melodies, and catchy beats. How naïve they are.
Circus Animal is a nuanced masterpiece, capturing all possible corners of production with an intuitive gaze. Millington embeds an industry trauma through an all-too-know storyline, allowing her to access as many audiences as possible. Yet, the careful details are what make the track really shine: warped vocals, a child’s voice, a lion’s roar, a whip, all delivering audiences straight into the “circus” of an artist’s career.
“I’m no animal, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” she sings in the song’s opening lines. “You’ve trained me well, is it time to take the chains off?… My cuts are bleeding, my pain’s amusing. I’m jumping through hoops and it’s burning my body. Always a burn, I’ve been poked and prodded.”
Just when you thought that the song couldn’t impress anymore, the bridge rolls around. Whimsical notes are promptly drowned by gut-punching bass, leaving you with a certified jam. Her artistic imagination is saturated through every note and lyric, a talent which was reportedly born straight from her childhood.
“What happens if you grow up with no screen time?,” her bio reads. “No devices, not even tv and you’re just left to your own imagination. Now imagine at a young age, your parents take you to your first music festival and your brain explodes with.. possibilities. Then imagine those possibilities are harnessed and you come back to that same festival years later with a slew of songs and you just happen to win a recording session with a Grammy award-winning producer?”
As a debut, Circus Animal went straight for the jugular. Where other artists may take it slow, using beginner’s leverage to explore their sound, Millington made unapologetic statements. She is definitely one to watch out for.
Circus Animal is now available on all streaming platforms.
