Prepare to press repeat with Norwegian pop singer Girl in Red’s latest electrifying synth-pop album “I’m Doing It Again, Baby!”, which was released on Friday.
“I’m Doing It Again, Baby!” is a no-skip album with commanding ballads, groovy synthesizing beats and intriguing lyrics about mental health, unrequited love, growing pains and heartache that display Girl in Red’s versatility as an artist.
On the Zach Sang Show, Girl in Red said the album reflects her life experiences from the past few years while she took a break from music and it highlights her personal growth with the album’s lyrics and themes.
The album acts as Girl in Red’s personal diary, with each song representing her own uncensored thoughts and feelings in a mismatched way. Girl in Red’s experiments with funky sounds and beats also enhance the diary-like album theme.
The song “I’m Back” is the introduction page of Girl in Red’s diary, giving listeners the inside scoop of what has gone through her head during her three-year hiatus.
The song sets the tone for the album’s overarching theme of mental health, with lyrics like, “I’m back, I feel like myself. I was gone for a minute ‘cause I went to get help.”
“I’m Back” sounds a lot like a lullaby in the intro and outro, with high pitched piano sounds which encourage a calm listening experience paired with reassuring lyrics.
Alongside mental health, the album has themes of love with “A Night To Remember,” heartache with “Pick Me” and “New Love” and self-confidence with “You Need Me Now?”
Before the album’s release, singles like “DOING IT AGAIN BABY” and “Too Much” were released on Feb. 9 and March 7, building anticipation among fans.
The title track, “DOING IT AGAIN BABY,” boosts confidence by just pressing play with its infectious beat, sound and lyrics.
Lyrics in the chorus are powerful and display Girl in Red’s confidence, “I’m on a new level, something’s got me feeling like I could be inflammable, and I might be. I’m gonna light it up, nothing’s gonna stop me. If I say this is what I want, yeah.”
“DOING IT AGAIN BABY” is a pop song with a punk flair, creating an angsty energy with the intense beats, highlighting Girl in Red’s vocal prowess and further proving Girl in Red’s masterful lyricism.
The song’s thrilling beat is similarly utilized in two other stand-out singles “Too Much” and “You Need Me Now?” to provide some energetic relief with hyper beats compared to the rest of the album’s traditional pop and indie production.
“Phantom Pain” is an interesting mix of her album’s themes, incorporating both pop and rock elements to create a dynamic of diverse beats unlike Girl in Red’s debut album “if i can make it go quiet.”
The song starts with an iconic philharmonic sound that quickly turns into an alternative rock guitar riff that shocks listeners. These alternative rock elements give a new vibe for Girl in Red, but further showcase her production power and growth as an artist.
“I’m Doing It Again, Baby!” is a rich tapestry of humanity, from breakups to mental health, but there are a couple of tracks that truly outshine the rest and climb to the top as the best songs.
“You Need Me Now?” is an electrifying track, with an outstanding collaboration between Girl in Red and rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
The fusion of their voices enhances the song’s appeal to fans and amplifies the emotional depth of a breakup song. Aggressive guitar riffs and Carpenter’s bitter lyrics further build the song’s theme.
Girl in Red’s lyrics cut through like a knife, paired with Carpenter’s angry tone when she sings “But your talk is cheap, all you do is leave. I see, I see. I’m sick of your schemes and you’re such a disease.”
This is an interesting song produced by Girl in Red and Matias Tellez because it’s unlike any other song they’ve worked on. The duo have produced almost every Girl in Red song together.
“You Need Me Now?” outshines the other pop rock tracks because of its intense sound and cutthroat lyrics that amplify Girl in Red’s grit and unapologetic attitude.
“Pick Me” stands out as a plea for reassurance from Girl in Red to her girlfriend, echoing the struggle of relationship insecurity.
Girl in Red’s raw, emotive vocals lay the depth of her emotional turmoil within her relationship, as the song is a deep dive into her thoughts, guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.
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Another standout is “Ugly Side” with enthralling, groovy beats and lyrics that explore mental health struggles.
“Ugly Side” is like a therapy session, going in-depth about the everyday struggles of mental health and how controlling intrusive thoughts can be.
Girl in Red’s emotional vulnerability and bold production experiments are what elevate these songs to the top of the album’s standout tracks.
There are some tracks that may leave listeners feeling like they wanted more from Girl in Red with “★★★★★ (5 Stars)” and “A Night To Remember.”
“★★★★★ (5 Stars)” is a fun song that concludes the album, and while it acts as a final diary entry, it sounds clunky compared to the other pop songs on the album. It was not the best song on the album, but Girl in Red’s creativity continued to shine through with the addition of factory intro sounds.
“A Night To Remember” is an interesting track that highlights Girl in Red falling in love with her girlfriend, but some quirky lyrics and production choices ruin the song.
Most of the song is simple and sweet, but in the second verse Girl in Red sings, “Cocaine and weirdos, maybe we should just get goin’,” which ruins the melodic, romantic vibe of the song.
Production of the song towards the end is hyper with glistening notes and beats, which disconnect and overshadow the sweetness and romantic vibe of the first half of the song.
The lyrics feel like they don’t belong, and while they do paint a vivid image and set the scene, it makes the song sound less romantic and more awkward alongside the awkward production.
The length of the album is slightly disappointing, at only 27 minutes, the album lacks luster and should’ve been called an EP instead. After three years of no content, 27 minutes feels like a slap in the face to fans who have patiently waited.
“I’m Doing It Again, Baby!” is an enjoyable compilation of pop, indie and rock elements, something she hasn’t done before. This album is a solid 7/10 for the album length, diverse sounds, emotional lyrics and coverage of relatable themes.
