The songwriter origin story. Not everyone’s got one, but six year old Lulu Simon blowing out her birthday candles to wish that she had retroactively written Britney Spears’ “Lucky” is an very funny and heart-warming anecdote that tells you a lot about what kind of big dreamer and musician the she would eventually become, and boy… what a songwriter she is, as there’s no doubt her greatest asset is the dexterous way she has with words, being both an enchanting metaphorist and an even better storyteller. That alone would make her instantly worth listening to, but if we take into account her lovely vocals and the very diverse and synth-heavy melodies and music backdrops then we get something that feels very special and even rare within the realm of pop music.
There’s no pretense with Lulu Simon, no aloof baroqueness or abstract avant-garde nuance to decipher, instead we get a very straightforward and traditional troubadour’s charm. Subtle, genuine, rich and easy to connect with while still having originality and freshness in spades.
Lulu’s spotlight track right now is “Being Alone Is The Best” a song that narrates the emotional impact of a friendship that has crumbled after a revealing moment showing Lulu that things weren’t quite what they seemed. “I went through very painful and transformative growth during the pandemic that opened my eyes to a lot of unhealthy relationships in my life” says the L.A.-based singer-songwriter. I wrote “Being Alone is the Best” in the midst of a gigantic friend break up, where all of a sudden the people who were meant to uplift me and bring me the most joy were making me feel like I wasn’t fun or worth being around, and I sank to the lowest, most insecure and unrecognizable version of myself.”
Produced by Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers, Ashe, WET) the song wastes no time letting us taste of the disarming frankness that is Lulu Simon’s songwriting. From the shimmering glassy synths and the angelic guitar chords she emerges with “There’s not a single person in L.A who gives a shit about me anyway”, a line that I felt was very impactful and brutally honest about her feelings, testifying early on to her willingness to break down barriers between herself and the listener. This I think is an amazing ability that takes other songwriters years of experience to materialize, but here she is making sure we understand her at her worst moments,just like a close friend opening up.
This track is Lulu’s first release since 2020’s “Strangers”, and it doesn’t come on its own, as it’s preparing us for what’s promising to be an excellent sophomore EP to be yet announced.
Story: Mariana Gonzalez Photo: Courtesy of the artist
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