Harper Allen has kickstarted her singing career with a bang by releasing a lively heartbreak anthem that pays homage to the queen of break-up songs, Taylor Swift herself. The catchy track takes a page from Swift’s book by name dropping a legendary singer in a debut song. Similar to “Tim McGraw” by Swift, Allen sings about listening to Taylor Swift and associating the music with a relationship. In "We're Listening to TS," Allen's clever lyricism brings together bittersweet nostalgia and gut-wrenching heartache to create an unforgettable debut single. The song details a relationship that is slowly drifting toward their inevitable expiration date. Despite Allen wanting it to work out and allowing herself to fall back into old patterns, she knows that staying together will only hurt them more. She fantasizes about the nostalgia of old Taylor Swift songs and her “stories of love unrequited.” Allen tells her partner that “if anything’s left” they will find it in the hopeless romantic superstar’s discography. But until then, she will have to keep holding on to the failing love that she is so desperate to keep. “We’re Listening to TS” captures the attention of fans with the cheeky title and effortlessly makes them fall in love with Allen for her clever songwriting talent.
Despite the heart wrenching, melancholic lyrics, “We’re Listening to TS” has a high-energy production that takes the listener by pleasant surprise. The song begins with a very brief synth wave that is cut short by Allen’s compelling vocals. She kickstarts the first verse with an angelic acoustic guitar riff and the delicate sound of birds chirping, providing an intimate element to the track. The second half of the verse introduces the steady beat while Allen’s vocals harmonies enhance the heavenly atmosphere. Prior to the chorus hitting, the instrumentation mutes to only the vocals and bird sound effects, before exploding to the high-energy production. An electric guitar takes over the melody with heavy beats that emphasize each line. The second half of the chorus changes the melody to a retro vibe that brings an entirely new dynamic to the track, before returning to the original full production of the first verse. However, rather than a muted instrumentation at the end of the second chorus, a heavy electric guitar riff hits that leads back into the energetic chorus. In the background, harmonic vocalizations play with the melody and provide an additional layer to the song. The bridge then utilizes the full production to emphasize the emotional climax, before ending the track with the final stripped-down chorus. The track contains a very dynamic and unique production that accentuates Allen’s mesmerizing vocals and showcases her ingenious songwriting.
Harper Allen is a pop singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Although “We’re Listening to TS” is her debut single as an artist, Allen is no stranger to the music industry. The talented singer has been writing songs for other artists, including an iTunes Top-10 country charts song and the theme song for Nickelodeon series, Side Hustle. With her previous songwriting experience, she has entered her solo singing career with already over 35 million streams. After writing for others, Allen is now focusing on curating songs based off of her own experiences and personal struggles. She draws inspiration from artists such as Maisie Peters, Noah Cyrus, and Leanna Firestone, while making her music completely her own sound. Currently, she is working on her first EP and playing shows in the L.A. area. Her next single is set for release next month; check out her socials to pre-save!
Written By Karlee Skipper
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