Los Angeles native and Persian pop experimentalist Gia Woods drops her new EP, Heartbreak County, Vol. 2, via Elle Records, following on the heels of last year’s Heartbreak County, Vol. 1.
Speaking about Vol. 2, Woods shares, “This second half is the gritty side without all the glamour of Heartbreak County. It’s the messy slutty party phase you go through to forget you’re hurting. It’s sexy but also real.”
While growing up in a traditional Persian family in L.A., Woods’ parents viewed music as little more than a diversion, not a career. Teaching herself violin and guitar, she later wrote her first song, “Only A Girl,” which was released in 2016 and signified her coming out. “Only A Girl” amassed more than 9 million Spotify streams and over 11 million YouTube views.
Since then, Woods has become a powerful voice in the LGBTQ+ community.
The EP begins with “Hello?,” opening on deep, vibrating tones flowing into a dark yet gleaming electro-pop tune topped by Woods’ smoldering, crème de la crème voice.
Highlights include “Cover Girl,” riding grandiose disco rhythm as Woods’ seductive vocals infuse the lyrics with posh, audacious timbres embellished by sexy sighing textures.
“Cover girl grabbing my thigh in the back seat / Another girl telling me, ‘Oh, you’re so sexy’ / What a world when you’re everyone’s baby / Oh, oh.”
Thrumming with dance energy, “Lesbionic” pushes out ultramodern layers of electrifying sonic surfaces, at once enticing and voluptuously galvanizing. Woods’ erogenous voice gives the lyrics tantalizing flavors.
“And now it’s closing time / You know that I / Look even better when the lights go on / It’s so erotic / Lesbionic.”
“Disco Heart” rolls out on emerging, shadowy colors spiked with luminous accents and then ramps up to a delicious, pulsating rhythm evoking a wickedly dangerous, risky feel. Woods explains the song “shows that inflation you feel when something is so good, so mesmerizing, but so bad for you.”
The penultimate track, “PCH (Pretty Cold Heart), blends percolating synths with a driving rhythm as Woods’ sultry voice imbues the lyrics with luscious, breathy savors.
Gia Woods has it going on! Heartbreak County, Vol. 2 drips with vibrant pop tangs, capped by the bewitching voice of Gia Woods.
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