Emily AF, the brains behind Rockstar & Elise—a solo project that sounds like an 80s jukebox exploded and then reassembled itself with bluegrass banjos and industrial-strength glue—has dropped a new single. What do we make of Emily, a veteran sound engineer moonlighting as a nostalgia pop siren? Fascinating, no?
“Cruel Summer – Emily AF Version,” explores a sizzling, dangerous liaison. A clandestine connection where the “Do Not Disturb” sign is permanently illuminated. The lyrical journey maps out a head-over-heels plunge into a love affair that’s equal parts ecstasy and agony, where intense infatuation collides headfirst into the brick wall of emotional unavailability, or plain ol’ damage. And somewhere, a tiny voice squeaks,”Is this thing even safe?”.
This track’s sonic fingerprint aligns neatly to the “dark synth-pop” drawer of my imaginary file cabinet, or probably under the heading “synth-infused pop” if I were more organized. One might feel they’re being chased by robot dragonflies through a neon-lit, fog-shrouded city.
Our protagonist craves connection with an almost painful, voracious intensity. Meetings are “secret,” boundaries are…let’s say flexible. This tune might make the next season of “Stranger Things.” Or it might make the list of my gym playlist. But I Digress.
There is the thrill, a chase, the white-hot core of summer love – but also, alarm bells, like a disco ball shattered, reflecting back fragments of heartbreak and vulnerability. Isn’t that always how it ends? At least, on tv.
It evokes images of driving in cars that are old, but new, with a companion as beautiful as damaged and listening to radio-friendly synth tunes in this “Cruel Summer – Emily AF Version.”
In closing, this latest musical venture has prompted questions about the relationship between memory, desire, and the often-chaotic nature of emotional connections. Or maybe it’s just a catchy tune about a messy summer fling. What do you think?
