Review: "l.o.v.e" - SHY Martin

Hazy, moody, “l.o.v.e” is everything you’d ever want out of the alt-pop genre. This track is all about the highs and lows of love, as well as being in it. It wavers between the euphoria of feeling alive with somebody while tempering it with the pain that comes with complicated relationships. Maybe it’s delusion, maybe it’s obsession, or maybe it really is love– “l.o.v.e” isn’t concerned with the definition, but rather the feeling that comes with whatever it is. The important thing is that you get the heart-pumping exhilaration from falling for someone, and all the ups and downs of it. If you’re a natural romantic, or just adore tracks that feel floaty and intimate, then “l.o.v.e” is your song.

“l.o.v.e” exemplifies all the things I love about alt-pop and indie pop. It’s slow and hazy with a build-up that leads to an explosive chorus, replete with an intimacy that feels like sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with someone in a dimly-lit room. The soundscape keeps it very low-key, a gentle guitar and bass complementing one another as SHY’s ultra-smooth voice coils around the entire track. It’s one of those sounds that you have to hear for yourself to really pinpoint the emotion it evokes. The best way I can describe it is that it brings forth images of night rides in fast cars with your arms feeling the wind out the windows– something like nostalgia with a touch of intimacy, closeness. The lyricism lends itself really well to this feeling with lines that point toward emotion and passion, the physicality that comes from being in love. “I wanna feel alive / I wanna feel alive,” the narrator repeats, opening up how their relationship could be just for thrills– or maybe it really is love. “l.o.v.e” is an amazing track that’s perfect for vibing and introspection, which I think is a fantastically difficult thing to achieve.

Multi-platinum Swedish singer-songwriter SHY Martin is an artist whose pen has written for a number of other legendary singers. Her initial breakthrough was as the featured artist on Mike Perry’s hit song “The Ocean”, and she has since gone on to write for Kygo, The Chainsmokers, Ellie Goulding, and IVE. 2017 came the release of her debut single “Good Together”, with her following solo tracks and collaborations collectively garnering over 600 million streams on just Spotify. She’s received coverage in publications like Billboard, Forbes, Paper, and Wonderland. “l.o.v.e” follows her previous two singles, which are all working toward setting up her next full-length project that’s due next year. If you loved the sound of SHY, then you should absolutely be following her on her socials!

Written By Alexa Leung

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