Almost 2 years after her first EP release, “Destructive”, the teaser after her signing with an independent label, “Midnight Records”, Sidi is here with her newest project titled “NightSwim The EP”. NightSwim the EP takes its listener on a journey of the dark and undiscovered places of the post-breakup Psyche. This EP weaves between multiple diverse genres in creating a contextual and intricate project.
The first single on this EP, “Night Swim” begins with a hazy, and atmospheric production that created a sensual dark setting around the song. “Night Swim” was the perfect opening to the album because It instantly draws its listener in on the project. The song was just mesmerizing and completely gave me chills. From the sound FX of the water to complement the theme of the record to the pop-trap production, NightSwim is a song where the listener can get lost within the effortlessly moving sound of the record. For me, I envisioned a lover, a lonely beach, and a night environment. The imagery I created while listening to “Night Swim” helped me enjoy the melodies a bit more. I’ve been better, baby... look how bitter you’ve made me” as the first line, sets the tone for the EP perfectly. Dipping in and out of remembering her past, in a way she regrets and also craves; it will remind anyone of the feeling of leaving the person that was so bad for you, but so much fun as well.The song is highly contagious and all-around influencing to your mood! After Sidi snatches you into her album, she leaves you floating on cloud nine with the next dream-like record, “Human”. With Lush vocals and an ambient production, Human is a romantically-pop driven single that creates mystery suspense to the album. Human lightens the mood after Nightswim and shows off Sidi’s pop-leaning side, with a hook that will be stuck in your head all day. With lots of space in the production, Sidi lets the air in her voice have a moment, while supporting lyrics like “what beautiful things, doomed from the start, bitter things… nowhere to go with these things, and we give all we are to these things.” The song is purely reflective and lets listeners in on the turmoil that follows a chaotic love affair. but did we expect Sidi to leave us feeling fulfilled after two songs?
She continues to keep the vibes going with the next record, “Decisions”. “Decisions” was a sultry display of heartbreak with an R&B texture covering the unique articulating vocals of Sidi. it leaves you stunned. While listening, I found myself mentally traveling back to a time place of my own personal heartbreak. That’s the beauty of the record is that it’s so transporting to the listener’s personal past. With her sensual energy propelling the melody forward, “Decisions” weaves between the lines of melancholy and contentedness. Unintentionally bringing peace and relaxation onto our moods. This third track on the EP allows listeners to hear how heavily R&B influences Sidi’s production; with a topline that leaves nothing to the imagination. Through a vocal we haven’t heard from Sidi before, she sings “tell me where you are because I want to sit under the same stars, I want to be your girl, so I can give you all of my heart... so, let's try this again”. The next record on “Night Swim”, “Love With You”, was the song that mellows the listener into the comfort of the project. At this point of the album, you’re all the way in the water... Initially beginning with your feet inside, and as every song progresses you find yourself sinking deeper and deeper into the music. By the time of “Love With You”, you’re on the Night Swim that feels everlasting. “Love With You” delivers romantic instrumentation and equally sensual vocals that give the lyrics the soft punch they deserve. Sidi allows her audience to understand her better with this song, as the vulnerable but strikingly self-aware person she is. She takes accountability for her faults, but ultimately this track feels like a calm explanation to her past lover.
With every corner turn, there’s something new to explore within “Night Swim”. A new record that gives a new lyrical meaning to the project. And that hidden gem was the release of “On Top”. “On Top” gave me the interpretation of Sidi putting her loved one on a pedestal, however, he didn’t return the same energy she gave. Which made this record a compelling arrangement to the project due to the new theme or under-appreciation being displayed. “On Top” brings energy and shows Sidi’s inability to sugarcoat the truth. With lyrics like “when I made you feel special like you could be the one...I wasn’t in love, I can’t give you what you want” and “you’re bad for me, I’m bad for you”, listeners can feel the tension between two people that are trying to make something work, that never had a chance in the first place. The closer of “Night Swim” was “I Can’t Stay”--the ending of the atmospheric project that woos its listener with an ultimate experience you won’t ever forget. Sidi undoubtedly created the journey of deeper musical context surreal for us and “I Can’t Stay” felt like the ending of an irresistible path.
“Night Swim” was an EP like no other. A personal fan of each song, these tracks warrants its place on the album in their own special forms. For me, my personal favorites were “Night Swim” due to the opening chills I felt while listening. “Decisions” because I was obsessed with the fusion of RnB productions, and “On Top” because the energy of the record seemed to have a more different approach! All in all, this album was spectacular.
Stream Sidi's new album here, and keep scrolling in order to get to know the artist better through her exclusive interview with us at BuzzMusic!
Hey Sidi, it's great to chat with you! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hey! Stoked to talk with you guys - yeah absolutely! I'm 22, I grew up in Los Angeles, spent a little time living in the Netherlands when I was 16; and i've been making music for about eleven years now. I started writing my own lyrics to songs on the radio and cd's when I was about 6, then at around 11 years old, I met a producer who had a home studio and ended up teaching me guitar and piano (at which point, I was able to put music behind my own lyrics). After working in his studio for a little while, I got really interested in the entire recording process, which ended up sparking my interest in going to Audio Engineering school. I signed with Midnight Records (an Independent label based in LA) right after graduating SAE:LA, and i've made two EP's with them so far (Destructive and Night Swim).
Love your new album! How does “Night Swim” differentiate itself from your previous release?
Thank you! Night Swim is really just a big step for Ghosty and I in all aspects; production, writing, sound design, mixing, and fine tuning the details. I had more of a cohesive story to tell on this project, and Destructive was kind of just a project where Ghosty and I made a bunch of little vibes, and called it an EP. So, it definitely just feels more true to where we are as producers, and where I am as a writer.
What songs on “Night Swim” were more challenging for you to create and why?
The very first song we made for Night Swim was actually the last song on the EP, "I cant stay". That one was definitely, vocally, the most challenging because we recorded it the day that i finished writing it, so I was an emotional wreck, and everything that the EP is about, was so so so fresh and present in my life still. Production-wise, I think "Love with U" was the most challenging for Ghosty and I - we did like 3 or 4 completely different versions of that song and it took forever for us to fully land on which version we were the most happy with.
What is your favorite song on the album, why?
My favorite song on the EP is probably "I Can't Stay" - I just feel like it sums up the whole EP so well, the writing is tight, and the production on the whole outro is some of my favorite work that Ghosty and I have done.
Which song on this album do you feel best reflects the theme of the EP as a whole and why?
I think, "Night Swim" represents the whole theme pretty well - it has the energy that comes up throughout the EP, the darker elements, the sexier moments, etc.
What’s next for you through 2019? 2019 is going to be wild - I'll be doing my first merch drop, tons of live shows, and we have over 6 singles + collaborations planned for release before the end of the year.
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