Olivia Lunny stuns with her first EP, To The Ones I Loved
By Monty Daniel
(PC: Lane Dorsey)
Olivia Lunny is a young Canadian artist making strides in the pop music world, having just released her first EP. This release, To The Ones I Loved, is full of heartfelt sentiments and catchy lyrics.
The EP opens with the bumpy and reverb-filled track, “Think of Me.” Complete with strong lead vocals and whispered backing vocals provided by Lunny, the song wraps you in a tight hug and won’t let go. With tracks such as this, Lunny’s indie-pop sound is reminiscent of artists like Halsey and has many elements of essential summer anthems, including heavily produced synths and a bouncy beat—the upbeat nature of the track will make you want to dance around your living room. On top of this, Lunny adds sentimental lyrics such as, “Last summer/we were lovers/do you think of me?,” which reveals how, although you may be fooled by the blissful melody this song is draped in, “Think of Me” is a somber tune.
In contrast, the second song on the EP, “Hold Me,” is full of sorrow, through and through. This song is more dynamic than the EP’s first, with more interesting, deeper drops and pure emotion seeping through. Even though this song still has highly produced elements, it works to the benefit of Lunny’s aesthetic—this song sounds as if Billie Eilish got her heartbroken, but without being foreboding and gloomy. Additionally, there are moments when everything seems stripped away before it goes into the chorus; these are the parts I enjoy the most. Lunny is begging for love on this song, and I hope she gets it.
“Bedsheets” is the most honest of all the songs on this EP. The song starts off with lyrics that are absolutely heartbreaking: “Cigarette inside your hand/wish you would hold me like that.” The production on this song is simpler than the others, but I personally prefer that. The phantom howls and selective reverb throughout the song give it a sense of hollow emptiness. Lyrically, it has more substance than the rest of the songs on this EP, too—instead of being repetitious, she dives deeper into her feelings with each verse. As the song comes to a close, the key change in the last verse is ethereal and elevates the whole track to a new level. Like bookends, the song finishes how it starts, showing how she is getting nowhere in her current relationship. Personally, I would love to hear more music like this song from Lunny.
Last up is “Something New,” which lives up to its name. Although the first three songs on the album are covered in despair, this song is a bright spot, emotionally. There’s a story here, but, unfortunately, the production on most of the song is fairly basic, so the meaning gets lost for most of it. Despite that, I could easily see this song performing as well as the first two off this EP on popular radio or in clubs.
All in all, this EP serves as a great building block for Lunny by showing the different elements she is capable of in her music. Although most of her sound strays towards snappy, infectious dance music, her lyrics are capable of being captivatingly honest. This is an EP that you should surely add to your end of summer playlist.
Stream Olivia’s new EP and keep up to date with her via her socials! You can also watch the music video for “Think of Me” below.