Review Summary: Silencio.
Well, this is interesting. Leading up to the release of Happier Than Ever I was intrigued by the change of image from a creepy, overbearing Halloween character to a tragic diva. One of the main problems I had with WWAFAWDWG? was just how pandering and cloying it all felt, but it was forgivable for a new artist trying to find her image and audience. But now that image has changed and her sound has become more mature and, to my bewilderment, genuinely unsettling.
Things started clicking with me on "Oxytocin," a nightmarish, psycho-sexual fever dream. It's brilliant and in its light, the record possess this permeating sense that nothing is ever really....right. Everything seems just a little skewered. Has she been hurt, lied to, abused? Or is it perhaps all in her head as the pressures and paranoia of her sudden stardom as a woman creep up on her? What does she even truly want? When she's telling the object of her sexual desire to disappear on the title track, a triumphant victory call far too overpowering and ironic to be true, she's immediately drawn back to its talons with "Male Fantasy." The promise of attention and adoration is just too strong, even if it bears fangs and is not in any way real. In an industry that is inherently lonely, she needs oxytocin.
A track like "Not My Responsibility," which would be an inspiring anthem to women in other hands, feels so eerie, forlorn, and sensual. It sounds like a desperate lie in the face of an onslaught of conflicting desires, lusts, and emotions she knows she can't stop feeling. As much as she shouts back against the evils of the industry, it has affected her in more ways than she ever would have known. The album is such an interesting and harrowing character study of who one can become when met with failures from oneself, the vanity and carnivorous nature of the music industry and celebrity fame, and the fallouts of other lovers. Its subdued, brooding musical framing works profoundly in its favour, coming across more like a silent, inward cry than the tacky yearning for attention showcased on her debut.
With all of that said, a part of me wants to lean away from it. I have a super sweet tooth when it comes to music, especially pop music, but this record takes a much darker turn than I expected. There's no tangible joy here or even an indicator that she's going to reach a better place mentally. If I could liken it to a film it'd be Mulholland Drive and I'm unsure if that's something I want in my pop music on the frequent. Or maybe the album is much better for it...
