Single Review - “Unpretty” by Arabella Lucia
“Unpretty” by Arabella Lucia is a tight, fun, bittersweet experience. Layered with heavy, shrieking guitar and live on-stage instrumentation that makes each moment feel built for summertime vibes. However, the lyrics are more winter-esque, stating that no matter your clothing, makeup, or consumerism-based external validation, you can't escape the unhappy feeling. Especially if you can’t look inside yourself, you will always feel “Damn unpretty.”
In the early 2000s, the genre of pop-punk was the antithesis of hip-hop/rap. Where the often mainstream artists spoke about their truths, radio play consisted of how much fun they would partake in, whether it was the money they had, who they had sex with, jewelry they owned, or parties they attended; their life of luxury was on full display at all times.
On the flip side, pop-punk would often speak on the sex they would want to have, the money they wish they had, jewelry they watched other people own, or… Well, parties they attended. Rappers and punk artists always had that much in common.
Subject matter: the track tackles the all-too-familiar situation of dealing with a crush who knows how to push all your worst buttons. Even worse, that crush is the mirror. The song highlights our self-inflicted insecurities that range from body dysmorphia to that little voice in your head that points out how your left eye is perhaps a half centimeter lazier than the right eye and EVERYONE knows.
Arabella is a wonderful storyteller, and over the four-minute track, she takes feelings we have all experienced and shapes them into both our biggest enemy and our unachievable prize.
Along with her wordplay, Arabella's singing is a pleasant experience, making the words a smiling depression. In short, her voice is more akin to Jenevieve, who decided that Good Charlotte’s instrumentation felt closer to home than 808s and studio-produced samples.
“Unpretty,” released in July, is the first single from her forthcoming five-track debut EP. If the project is close in quality to this single, we could be looking at one of the more impressive newer artists of the year.
You can check out “Unpretty” here.
