If you were to pick four or so genres of music and jumble all of them in some musical blender and pour yourself a song from the blend, you’d come close to something akin to Serotonin by Girl in Red, and you bet that you’ll do your best remembering that recipe.

The first thirty seconds of the newest single from the singer threw me in for a loop. I couldn’t quite decipher what sounds she was going for until I realized she was going for all of it. The intro would almost have you believe that the song would have some sort of pop punk structure, with chugging happy chords in major keys with industrial 808s and synths, but the vibe is quickly shifted as Girl in Red begins singing. Her hypnotizing delivery is reminiscent of artists like Lana Del Rey, slow and melancholic, slowly reaching to perfect pitch. And again, just as you believe you’ve finally caught on to what was an intro to this Lana-esque tune, the beat drops hard, with the singer delivering a rhythmic melody tinged in pop, reggae and hip hop. The chorus really blends all the elements presented so far together in one tightly woven package. That was where I was the most blown away, that not only Girl in Red managed to pull off all these genres individually, but their transitions to one another, as well as their marriage in the climax of the song, all come together so beautifully.

I was fairly unfamiliar with the singer up until I found this song, and I can safely say I consider myself a fan just from this song alone. Her music seems extremely genuine and true to her love for music, and that kind of authenticity is far more attractive than a song that is high in production value and quality. Just so happens that this one is full of that as well.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.