Review: "Hiding Place" - Maddie Regent
- Kaitlyn Nicole
- Dec 7, 2023
- 2 min read
There's a particular brand of electronic dance-pop that uses the genre's kinetic momentum to evoke the heart-pounding emotions of complicated love. Lorde and Robyn come to mind as contemporary masters of this; but, on "Hiding Place," Maddie Regent joins them on the forefront of dance-floor romantics. In under three minutes, Regent soars, submerges, and stands resolute atop love's woes. The production, courtesy of Regent's boyfriend and collaborator Cade Hoppe, recalls the sugary dance-pop of Katy Perry's landmark album, Teenage Dream. Whirls and twinkles of synths create a neon phantasmagoria, like lasers reflecting off a mirrorball in every direction. Through the intoxicating rush, the NYC-based artist delivers an indelible vocal melody that squeezes out every drop of ambivalence from her lyricism on toxic relationships. Hear the way she slides through the words as she sings, "but it's such a waste!" It's the type of song that never quite leaves your head, like the toxic relationship its narrator can't seem to escape.
The immediacy of "Hiding Place" belies just how clever Regent's lyricism is. "You crossed my mind without even looking both ways," she sings on the chorus. The song's narrator resides in the complicated space between falling out of love and holding onto it for dear life. Knowing someone is toxic for you is one thing, but living without the love you've built for them is a whole other challenge. Remarking on her new inclination towards the loudest clubs, she reasons with heart-breaking clarity. "'Cus I thought I saw you / so I tried to shout / but it wasn't you / and now I'm blacking out." This ex-partner lives like an apparition in her life, a void where nothing has yet filled the space. "You know that I'm not the one to look the other way," closes the haunting bridge. With eyes trained on an afterimage, grief begins the process of fading.
On December 1st, Maddie Regent released her new EP, Girl Of Your Dreams. The eight-track project features "Hiding Place" alongside five, previously-released singles. Regent wrote the project around the cycle of toxic relationships and their impact on one's self-image. Like "Hiding Place," the EP's other tracks were produced by Cade Hoppe. Originally from Toronto, the singer/songwriter currently resides in New York City, where she has collaborated with industry titans such as the songwriting and production trio, LIONCHLD (Britney Spears, Bebe Rexha, Calvin Harris). 2021 saw Regent breakthrough with her viral single, "Ego," and debut EP, Miss Regent.
Written By Andy M.
FOLLOW Maddie Regent:
