Harper Allen is here with her third single of 2024, “Strangers”! In a vulnerable, acoustic pop-track, Harper details the complex feelings surrounding a past relationship. She started this song back in 2018 and revisited it 4 months ago to finish it. Harper sings about the progression of a catastrophic past relationship: the first verse is set before the breakup happened, the chorus in the weeks following, and the second half takes place 4 years later. Harper is so lost after the breakup, wondering “how [she’s] supposed to let go/when everywhere [she’s] been/is a place where the love was?” She knows the relationship was destined to fail from the start, but she still wants to go back to it. She’s distraught about how her ex believes they’re friends “and it just makes it worse.” Now Harper takes us to the weeks following the breakup and the struggles she faced. In her pain, she had lost weight, and “all [she wants] to be is hungry” for the first time in her life. Now Harper lays in the memories on the bed she used to share, but “[she’s} unable to sleep anymore.” Her ex said that Harper was their favorite artist and now she thinks of them every time she’s on stage, and she’s ashamed that her ex took yet another thing away from her. In the last moments of the song, Harper leaves us with these haunting lyrics: “you say that someday I’ll be glad that it hurt/but everyone else except you is a stranger.”
“Strangers” is best described as a vulnerable, acoustic-pop ballad. The track is very stripped back, consisting of acoustic guitars, Harper’s beautiful vocals, and some delicate backing vocals and harmonies. When I first listened to the song, I immediately imagined Harper singing this to me (or any of her listeners) in her living room with just her guitar, performing her heart out. Harper starts out with this spoken introduction that gives off this voice memo vibe that adds to the connection she has with the listener. She has a beautiful voice and a strong range. She doesn’t shy away with her head voice, which adds to this intimate vibe Harper is going for. Harper said on her Instagram that this song was a labor of love, but it’s clear to see that all the work she put in paid off.
Jillian Harper Allen, professionally known as Harper Allen, is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Although she didn’t release a solo single until 2023, Harper first broke out into the music industry at 19, with a co-writing credit on an iTunes number 1 track. Despite this massive accomplishment, she fell into a deep depression, escaping to San Francisco, facing trouble with some dangerous vices. Once she recovered, she rediscovered her love for music again, and although she faced some FOMO, she’s grateful for her later start in music. Over the years, she has racked up many songwriting credits, which total to over 30 million streams. However, she debuted her own music career with “We’re Listening to TS”. Her most popular track, “YOU (YOUR MOM)”, has amassed over 250k streams. Her sound, reminiscent of artists such as beabadoobee, Gracie Abrams, and Lizzy McAlpine. Although “your mom’s favorite songwriter” hasn’t hinted about what’s coming next, be sure to be on the lookout and “listen to the lyrics”.
Written By Lauren DiGiovanni
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