Album Review: "Voyager" - I Am Boleyn

Synth-Pop Queen I Am Boleyn has dropped her long-awaited debut album, "Voyager". Featuring 15 tracks, this project explores a variety of vulnerable human emotions.

TRACKLIST

Only Space

Girl Like Me

Taxi

Breathless (Corrs Cover)

Driving in the Dark

Tiny Love

Here Before

Say Something

Interlude

Toxic (Britney Spears Cover)

Meet Me in the Clouds

Another Me (Martin Brothers Remix)

Stay

Snowdonia

Until The Summer Ends

I Am Boleyn is based in London, United Kingdom. She grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia where she had been writing songs since she was young. She attended Oxford University where she studied History, but it seems music was her real calling. She debuted as an artist in 2019 with her single "Too Much" and has been unstoppable since. Combining nostalgic synth-wave with modern electro-pop, as well as taking influence from artists like Robyn, Annie, Goldfrapp and MS MR, I Am Boleyn has a style that is both danceable and emotionally relatable. Over the years, she released two EP's, "Paris to Boleyn" (2021) and "Lost Summer" (2022) which led her to performing sold out shows at notable locations such as The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles, Art Basel in Miami, and Urban Deli Rooftop in Stockholm, where she shared the stage with Swedish popstar Dear Sara. In the midst of her success, it was time to put together something bigger - and boy, did she deliver! I Am Boleyn's debut album, "Voyager", follows a space theme while at the same time explores emotions that are all too human. Recorded over the years between London and Stockholm, I Am Boleyn collaborated with producers and writers like Johannes Willinder, Par Westerlund (BLACKPINK, One Direction), and more. I don't want to spoil too much, so let's get into these tracks one by one!

"At its core, Voyager is the story of the Space Queen’s journey to Earth—an odyssey of love, despair, and self-discovery." - I Am Boleyn

Only Space

We blast off with the incredible opener track, "Only Space", which introduces us to the spaceship that we will be traveling on for this intergalactic journey that is "Voyager". The soundscape is super upbeat and ethereal, literally making you feel like you're on a spaceship ride in the middle of the universe as I Am Boleyn describes the surroundings. Intertwined in the production, you can hear buttons, lasers and alarms underneath I Am Boleyn's stunning singing. The combination of the instrumentation, vocals and storytelling gives you a sense of catharsis, especially during the lyrics in the chorus when she sings, "follow my lead and you can start again / the future is close and I can take you there". You get this feeling of new beginnings, a chance to start over and be yourself. It's such a joyful moment.

Girl Like Me

Next, we have "Girl Like Me", a song about a Romeo and Juliet type of love affair between an alien Queen and a human. If you've ever been in that kind of relationship where all odds are betting against you, it's definitely not easy. However, sometimes all you need to do is remember that as long as you're together and you love each other, nothing can break that! "Girl Like Me" has an infectious, heavy hip-hop influenced beat and sparkling, shimmering synths. Perhaps my favorite element of this particular song though, is the gorgeous layers of vocal harmonies. There's definitely a nostalgic vibe here, and not to mention that it was also inspired by classic sci-fi movies like TRON, Star Trek and Blade Runner.

Taxi

Now we are onto the leading single and focus track of the album, "Taxi", which is about being drunk in the back of a cab with an ex on your mind, knowing damn well you should leave it alone, but you decide to head towards their place anyways. Alcohol doesn't always lead to the best of ideas, and that includes bringing up old feelings and memories. It doesn't help when there's no one around to stop you or to tell you that you're making a mistake. I Am Boleyn sings that she even knows deep down that if she shows up she knows he will just break her heart, but there's something telling her to go anyways. She sings so softly on this track, almost like she's singing a lullaby. There's a stomp and clap electronic beat paired with ethereal synths, which slowly build as the song and story goes on, aka as the taxi gets closer to her ex's house.

Breathless (Corrs Cover)

Switching it up a bit, we have a cover of "Breathless" by the Irish family band, The Corrs. This song is about having feelings for someone that you are playfully enticing to make the next move. Comparing to the original, I Am Boleyn brings a more futuristic and clear quality to her version of the song, while still keeping is super nostalgic with a heavy emphasis on synths as the main instrumentation. Because of the way she executes the song, I feel like it makes it sound even more upbeat and joyful.

Driving in the Dark

"Driving in the Dark" is about releasing yourself from a relationship that isn't working, and relieving yourself from the heartbreak by escaping your town and driving with the windows down in the middle of the night. Sometimes in order to get out all of your frustration and sadness, the best thing to do is drive around for a while, blast your favorite music, sing your lungs out, let the cold air of the night hit your face and don't look back. This song gives a major ode to a classic 80's pop/rock sound with rushing drums and layers of synths taking over. I Am Boleyn has more of a natural, raw tone to her voice, adding to the classic aesthetic and atmosphere.

Tiny Love

Have you ever caught yourself falling in love, but really didn't want to? It just wasn't in your plans to be in a relationship, and after past experiences, you just want to protect your heart from being hurt again. That's what "Tiny Love" is about - trying to convince yourself that what your feeling is no big deal, and you're not going to let them take over you; it's just a "tiny little thing called love". This song puts crashing drums at the forefront of the instrumentation, adding a super cinematic feel to the atmosphere. I Am Boleyn sings delicately, with vocal harmonies and synths to back her up.

Here Before

"Here Before", (co-written with Charlie Thomas), is about that kind of relationship that goes in circles until it just doesn't anymore... however, you still find yourself longing for them, regardless of how bad it was for you. I Am Boleyn sings, "I've been here before / another night you're sorry at my door. I've been here before / and every time you leave me wanting more". The soundscape mixes dream-pop with a nostalgic 80's groove. Heavy reverb fills the air, with bubblegum synths and a soft electric guitar. I Am Boleyn sings with heartfelt emotion and pain behind her tone as the song continues to build into this dramatic, cinematic experience the longer it plays on.

Say Something

"Say Something" is about begging someone to spit out how they're really feeling. You can read it in their eyes that they don't really love you, but you need to hear it from their mouth. No matter how hard you try to get them to talk, they refuse to say the truth. "Say Something" really has that crying in the club type of vibe where the music is super bright and danceable, but there's hurt and heartbreak in the vocals and lyrics. I Am Boleyn sings in a very direct and conversational tone, really emphasizing that she wants this person to listen to her and wants her point to get across, even repeating the words "I need you..." as to imply that she still has feelings for them despite everything.

Interlude

Just a bit over halfway through, we have a one minute long instrumental interlude. It takes us back to track one, reminding us of our spaceship journey that we are on with electronic components in the background. An instrumental melody starts to play and it has a bit of an animalistic nature to it. The mixture of sounds creates another cinematic atmosphere, preparing you for the next step in our voyage.

Toxic (Britney Spears Cover)

Next, we have a cover of a pop classic, "Toxic", by Britney Spears. This song is about being addicted to someone like a drug; they're not good for you but being with them gives you a sense of euphoria you've never felt before. When you listen to the original song and I Am Boleyn's cover back-to-back, you wouldn't even know they're the same song. She takes it and makes it completely her own, but in a very good way. Think "Toxic", but a intergalactic, dark synth-pop club remix with more sensual vocals. It fits right in with the vibe and theme of the album.

Meet Me in the Clouds

"Meet Me in the Clouds" is about being fed up with letting day-to-day life get in the way of following your dreams. There comes a time where you have to realize that all you have is now; so you better make a break for it while you still have the chance. This song is very atmospheric, focusing heavily on electronic instruments and production to create a super unique and ethereal experience. I Am Boleyn uses a vocoder on her voice to add to the mechanical nature of the song during her spoken pre-chorus. There's heavy reverb and delay to add a dreamy, hazy element as well.

Another Me (Martin Brothers Remix)

Now, we are onto a revival of I Am Boleyn's 2020 single, "Another Me", remixed by Martin Brothers. "Another Me" is about the fear of getting too close to someone; you usually leave before things start to get too serious. However, now you're in a situation where you've met somebody who makes you want to stay, and you don't want to break their heart. You're hoping you can snap out of your habit of distrust, and let yourself be loved. The "Another Me" (Remix) takes an already beautiful track, and elevates it by adding a fuller production to not only match the thematics of this album, but to showcase the artistic growth that I Am Boleyn has had over the years.

Stay

"Stay", which features synthwave trio The Lightning Kids, is about the pain and loneliness that comes along with being in a long-distance relationship. Those last words that always come out of their mouth before you leave echo in your head until you can physically see them again; "I want you to stay with me". What stood out to me in this song was it's heavy bassline and the gorgeous, bright and twinkling xylophone which I felt really added to the emotional depth. The slower tempo paired with the heavy collection of synths also added to the unique experience, as well as gave it a little The Lightning Kids flavor.

Snowdonia

"Snowdonia" is a region of Northwest Wales, in which this song is dedicated to. We can guess by the lyrics that this place is very near and dear to I Am Boleyn's heart to the point she considers it a home to her. It's very clear that it's a safeplace, and when she's feeling low, all she has to do is close her eyes and imagine herself back in Snowdonia. With gorgeous celtic-like chanting in the background, this song is another cinematic experience for the books. It feels like it belong in the end credits of a movie. When I close my eyes, I can visualize the snow capped mountains and lakes.

Until The Summer Ends

Last but certainly not least, we have the sweet and electrifying "Until The Summer Ends". This song is about that classic Summer fling and being worried that it's going to end because Summer is almost over. So, you take in every moment that you can while it lasts, because there's nothing left to lose. This song is addictively catchy with syncopated melodies and dissonant harmonies. I Am Boleyn's voice sounds like actual sugar blending so well with the nostalgic soundscape. "Until The Summer Ends" is not only the perfect song to close out an album like this, but I can totally see it being a closer for one heck of a concert as well.

This album is incredible, to say the least. Each track is an experience in itself, but to listen to everything as whole makes you realize just how thought out and detailed this project really is. Everything glides and flows together so well; I could honestly imagine it being a visual album. The style truly brings that nostalgic 80's sound we all know and love, and gives it just the right amount of modern twist to make it brand new and unique. Not to mention I Am Boleyn's intriguing, sweet vocal style that draws you in not only with her tone but with her relatable storytelling as well. I think it was long worth the wait for an album by I Am Boleyn, and I'm so excited to follow her journey as she continues to take over the synth-pop world. Make sure to follow her below so you can keep up, too!

Written By Kaitlyn Nicole

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