There is a new pop artist on the rise, and her name is Elio. The Toronto-based singer recently released her first EP, u and me, but mostly me on July 9th. The project is filled with interesting ideas from a youthful perspective regarding the Internet and the anxiety that often comes from spending too much time online. Despite only recently making her musical debut, Elio has already earned some influential fans. Most notably, pop icon Charli XCX who has become the emerging artist’s new mentor.
The first track on the record, “My Friends Online,” is upbeat and establishes themes that recur later on the EP. Elio sings of her online social life in a melancholy way, which contradicts the catchy chorus. One lyric in particular is striking, “I’m socially exhausted/ But haven’t looked up from my phone.” For our generation, it is easy to feel like constant interaction on social media is mandatory, but as Elio notes, it is very overwhelming. Another important lyric, “I just want my friends online/ To be around me when I die,” shows the artist’s realization that many of these friends are not people who actually care much about her. The track offers some much needed commentary on the way Gen Z chooses to maintain often meaningless friendships through social media.
The second track, “Body Language,” also deals with technology’s interference with human connection. The song is specifically about the long-distance relationship between Elio and her boyfriend, and the trials that come with communication through texts. She explained to Apple Music that “There have been so many situations where we’ve had disagreements or fights over something that would’ve totally translated in person, but because it was over text, it was misunderstood.” Perhaps now more than ever (hi, social distancing), we can all relate to the message in “Body Language.”
The thought-provoking topics don’t end there, as the record continues into an even deeper discussion of Elio’s relationship and break up in “u and me, but mostly me.” Featuring dreamy vocals, a heavy drum, and electronic accents, the song transitions perfectly into “sunday :),” another track heavily influenced by bedroom-pop. The last two songs on the record, “LA in Two” and “Haircut (Reputation)” are much slower than the rest of the EP, and allow for the listener to focus on the lyrics more than the fun pop beats we heard previously.
This record shows a lot of potential for the pop singer who already has over 200,000 monthly listeners obsessed with her soft vocals, fun electronic beats, and relatable issues. Since this EP is just the beginning for Elio, she is definitely an artist to keep an eye on.
