Hyperpop, alt-pop, punk-pop, electropop, these days stars are doing all they can to add an edge to pop music. On debut record Amelia, Mimi Webb embraces the genre in its full form to back up a stratospheric post-pandemic rise.
The 22-year-old amps up the synths on opener ‘The Other Side’ for a plucky breakup flick and just as the foot starts tapping, you’re into lovesick anthem ‘Red Flags’.
There’s something so familiar about what Webb does but the star manages to serve it all up in a way that is just oh so 2023. The record lands with a series of TikToks diving into the heartbreak behind tracks and a performance on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
The pop star’s career has taken off over the past two years, so much so she’s playing some of the country’s most prestigious venues on tour next month. Whilst some may view Webb’s viral TikToks and prime-time spots as luck, Amelia makes it clear that there is intention behind every one of her pop-perfect moves.
That is at its most evident on single ‘House On Fire’. Already a year old, its playfully menacing lyrics are layered over bubbly production that sounds just as good now as it did 12 months ago.
Between ‘House On Fire’, ‘Red Flags’ and ‘Ghost of You’, Amelia‘s best moments are those wisely chosen singles when Webb amps up that enviable pop know-how to the max. You’ll hear ‘Freezing’ follow the steps of those tracks all over the radio soon too.
Nonetheless, there is depth to the star’s first album too. There’s a startling anguish to the chorus of ‘Last Train To London’ and on ‘Roles Reversed’ Webb leans in to whisper the admission she’s not getting back what she’s putting in.
The album finished on the title track which sees the singer pen a letter to herself. “Your mistakes, heartbreaks, only make you stronger anyway,” she advises. Webb has certainly reaped the benefits of those on this debut record.
If anyone claims to not enjoy Mimi Webb’s debut album, they probably think they are too cool for pop music. Amelia feels great and Webb knows exactly what she’s doing.
Rating – 4/5
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