Album Review: Perrie – Perrie

Perrie’s debut album has arrived and finds itself in an interesting position. Previous member of the Little Mix crew and second to release their debut solo album, Perrie Edwards is hot on the tails of her bandmate Jade who dropped hers a week prior. With that in mind, does Perrie do enough to stand strong beside her friend, or does it take things in a whole new direction?

Opener and lead single Forget About Us perfectly encapsulates Perrie’s feeling towards her previous musical venture. Lines seem to contain mixed metaphors, containing multiple meanings. ‘Saw you blew up and I’m proud of you’, and ‘but I don’t want to hear those songs no more’ being just some that could relate to the other members of Little Mix individually or to the group itself. It’s a perfect pop opener, leading into If He Wanted To He Would, an acoustic-led foot stomper. Sand Dancer bubbles with electric energy, while Rocket Scientist builds slowly, highlighting Perrie’s incredible vocal ability. Baby Steps follows a similar pattern, but the chorus’s heavy crunch and angsty performance gives it an edge over the previous track.

Bonnie and Clyde plays out like a poppy version of Radiohead’s Creep, even building vocally in the choruses and having a deliberately troubling angle to the lyrics. After Perrie sings about murdering someone for her other half, the album goes into Pushing Up Daisies with a wink and a nod. Not a continuation but rather an ode to staying young and living life to the fullest, it bounces along with pounding drums and an infectious guitar lick. Put You First and Same Place Different View both embrace the quieter side, the latter being a wonderful piano ballad, while Punchline and You Go Your Way bring back the energy for one last push. Closer Goodbye My Friend goes by quick but is an anthemic conclusion to the record.

Perrie is a pop masterclass. Musically, it traverses nearly every mainstream convention, which isn’t surprising given some of the names in the writing credits. Perrie’s voice is perfectly suited to this though, and fans of hers and of Little Mix wouldn’t want it any other way. She’s an artist at the start of her solo journey stretching her creative muscles and doing it with expert precision. 

Ryan Bulbeck

Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.