During 2020, we all felt like the world was on the verge of collapse. The uncertainty of the pandemic and the way our politicians took advantage of the situation for political gain. Looking out the window felt like a chore and no one felt safe anymore. The world is constantly going through ups and downs and it can feel like the world is ending all around us. Mariel Loveland, AKA Best Ex, was one of us. She felt so uncertain and worried about the state of the world and still does. Living in New York she saw the severity of the state of the world firsthand. She could see the temporary morgues and the boarded-up shops in her city and wondered how anyone could pretend anything was normal when the world looked so grim. The End is an exploration of these emotions. Her feelings about that uncertainty and where the world might go after all the tragedy.
The track is quintessential bedroom pop. It features dreamy instrumentals with soft vocals. Though the subject matter of the track is rather existential and a bit grim the soundscapes manage to be enjoyable and bouncy. Wrapping you in a sense of uncertainty that the Best Ex is singing about. The instrumental may be dreamy and casual like the attitudes of many in the world. The lyrics mimic the thoughts of Mariel’s mind. She describes the chorus as a sort of OCD fear loop. Cycling through fearful thought to self-soothing to fearful thought again with the repeating of the phrase "I know the world isn’t ending but what if it is?” The record is the focus track of her recently released album With a Smile. It blends beautifully with the other tracks and showcases Best Ex’s ability to blend pop-punk roots with a plethora of genres.
Mariel Loveland is a New York-based singer-songwriter who will always be a DIY artist at heart. She began her journey by teaching herself guitar at the age of 16. She had all these thoughts and putting them into poetry wasn’t enough to satiate her appetite. She then went on to join the wide-eyed punk band Candy Hearts where she toured for some time. She had made it but even then she felt she wanted more. So she decided to make her childhood dreams a reality twice over by becoming the artist known as Best Ex. Enter electric tracks and incredible albums that solidify her stardom. Now, we’ve come full circle, once again, with her first full-length album Best Ex With a Smile. And just as suspected it’s incredible.
Written By Kaiana Lee
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