SECOND ARROW, the new EP from pop singer-songwriter Ella Collier, was written during Collier’s first year of sobriety.
Collier explains, “I started my new music sober, and I finally got to get brutally honest about my thought process and experience with not only sobriety, but with the music industry, my personal relationships, and my view of the world.”
The title of the EP refers to the two arrows, or two parts, of unfortunate events. The first arrow is the disastrous event, either emotional or physical, while the second arrow is the suffering people endure by overthinking past events.
The songs on SECOND ARROW blend elements of EDM, hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Working with her close confidant and collaborator, Sam Vendig, the two created an intoxicating soundscape birthed from nostalgic familiarity, while at the same time injecting the songs with fresh pop tangs.
Encompassing six tracks, entry points on the EP include “MY BAD,” a sassy, percolating pop tune about being unapologetic. Thick, bubbling harmonics fill the song with deep, sloshing tones as Collier’s vibrant vocals imbue the lyrics with shameless flavors.
A personal favorite, “LIKE A LADY,” merges a muscular trap-like rhythm with surging layers of gleaming pop surfaces. Collier’s evocative vocals strut and posture on deliciously nuanced timbres, ranging from dark and Medusa-like to a hip-hop-lite flow to potent, soaring resonance.
Talking about “LIKE A LADY,” Collier says, “To all my women out there, has anyone ever told you to act like a lady, dress like a lady, sit like a lady, talk like a lady, etc.? Well, this one’s for them, I’ll show you what a lady means to me.”
Another excellent track, “UPGRADE,” opens on low-slung, shimmering colors, and then transitions to a pulsating rhythm tinted with hints of dance music. Brimming with strident vitality, Collier’s voice infuses the lyrics with liberating clout.
SECOND ARROW is a total monster of an EP, drenched in various shades of electrifying pop, and crowned by the bravura voice of Ella Collier.
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