girl in red released her sophomore album, “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” on April 12. The album is a fun, upbeat switch from her previous music, with a focus on making a comeback and finding herself again.
girl in red is a project by Marie Ulven, a Norwegian musician. Since beginning this project, Ulven has released two EPs, “chapter 1” and “chapter 2,” two studio albums, “if i could make it go quiet” and “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” and opened for Taylor Swift on “The Eras Tour.”
Ulven, a LGBTQ+ artist, has a focus on queer music within her girl in red project, and has fostered a large LGBTQ+ fanbase through the years.
I have seen girl in red live twice — once as a headliner, and the other time as an opener for Swift. I loved both times, so I was very excited to hear she was releasing a new album.
Needless to say, the album does not disappoint. It’s very different from her usual work, but in the best way. Now, I not only have girl in red songs to cry to, but I also have some fun, upbeat girl in red pump-up songs.
The album was preceded by three singles, “DOING IT AGAIN BABY,” “Too Much” and my personal favorite, “You Need Me Now?” which features Sabrina Carpenter, an artist known for her hits “Nonsense” and “Feather.”
All three of these songs have catchy lyrics and a fun beat, and “You Need Me Now?” is the perfect summer vacation tune — the song has the same energy as a sunny day at the beach, with a great message of moving on and finally being free.
The album begins with a track titled “I’m Back,” where Ulven sings about finally feeling like herself again after getting help and actually enjoying life. In the past, Ulven’s music focused a lot on personal mental health issues, so it’s interesting to hear her reflect on her growth.
Compared to the rest of the album, the melody of this song feels the most similar to her older, early music. It almost has a similar vibe to the now viral “we fell in love in october,” one of Ulven’s first songs for the girl in red project.
As much as I enjoy the album, a lot of it sounds similar to the other songs within the release. It all has a constant, upbeat sound to it, with very little contrast throughout. While I appreciate the cohesiveness of it all, I wish there was a bit more variety.
Despite the repetitiveness, it’s overall a fun, catchy album that is perfect for the summertime. The structure of the album makes perfect sense, with it almost playing like a story.
Ulven is a brilliant songwriter, and it really shows with her girl in red music. She knows how to make a fun, vibey song that speaks to and is relatable for fans.
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With her recent projects, girl in red has grown from just being a queer music icon into a well-known and respected artist across a variety of audiences, and if her new album reflects her future as a musician, her career is only going to go up from here.
Rating: 8/10
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