By Socratis Santik Oglou,
The British artist Shygirl does her official debut with her album titled “Nymph”; is an uncompromising, intimate reveal of an artist who has previously been seen through a single lens. Shygirl created her debut album with her close friends and previous collaborators like Danny L Harle, Mura Masa, and Arca. By performing snappy falsettos supported by vulnerable lyrics, she produced this album to present a narrative about herself — one of an extraordinarily brazen, loud, and confident individual.
Shygirl exhibits a softer side of herself throughout the course of 12 exquisitely crafted songs, embodying the fabled forest creature from which the album derives its name. “Woe,” the album’s opening track, starts out with ethereal synths beneath gentle drum pads and rolling clacks but Shygirl catches us off guard halfway through the song with a more club–like sound, leaving the listeners in a woe. The song contrasts sharply with her 2020 EP, “ALIAS,” both sonically and thematically, which was motivated by a widespread yearning for the club at the height of the pandemic-induced lockdown.
“Come For Me” is an Arca–produced, off–kilter, abstract alternative song sound that dazzles the listener on track two. One example is Shygirl’s giddy singing. Arca’s abstract production approach, however, occasionally contrasts awkwardly with Shygirl’s lyricism.
“Shlut” carves itself out as a forceful self–care anthem with an excellent beat and snappy snares, while the little more abstract “Little Bit” is a bass–heavy track that would create a genuine euphoric moment at any club. “Firefly,” the album’s debut song, features a powerful pop melody as Shygirl speaks about loss and making space for oneself when things are tough. Shygirl assembles a glittering mosaic of club sounds, electronic music, and abstract alternative music on “Nymph,” with each component being totally original in its execution. This record is a stark reminder of why Shygirl is one of the upcoming alternative British performers after she toiled assiduously on her much-anticipated debut album for a number of years.
References
- Shygirl – ‘Nymph’ review: pop rulebreaker shines with a little help from her friends, nme.com, Available here
- Shygirl Discovers Her Ultimate Fantasy on “Nymph”, pepermag.com, Available here
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Shygirl: Nymph review – a sensuous, playful debut, thequardian.com, Available here
