𝓫𝓪𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓻 [ MULTIPLE]

fifty

MATILDE PAES SORROWFUL NEW EP EXPLORES HER DESPAIR TWO YEARS AGO; HAILEE STEINFELD SEEMS TO TAKE INSPIRATION FROM 'THE SQUAD' AND WRITES ABOUT A BREAK-UP AND REVENGE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY BOTH SEEM TO BE SINGING ABOUT THE SAME.

(The two at the 2015 Met Gala, which they attended together.)

While Paes' new EP, Camouflage, is set to be available everywhere in less than five days, Steinfeld's Half Written Story will only be released in close to a month, as revealed by their respective labels last night at a joint Preview Party, thrown by the industries biggest names.

The two former best friends were some of the most important performances of the night, both showcasing their soon to be released 5 song EPs.

Billboard was able to exclusively release a Review Article on both songs.

HALF WRITTEN STORY BY HAILEE STEINFELD

Steinfeld has long been seemingly sincere in her attempts to inject some vague notion of “female empowerment” (the optimistic catch-all term attached to ideas about women’s equality that can be easily bought and sold) into her music. Her debut single was, after all “Love Myself” (yes, it’s about masturbation). It’s a career-wide project: recently, she executive-produced Apple TV+’s “Dickinson” and starred as Emily in a critically acclaimed turn.

But on “Story,” it’s a challenge to find the there there, as the most successful songs lean heavily on pop hits past. “I Love You’s” and its confusing punctuation may borrow a great deal from The Lover Speaks by way of Annie Lennox, but it still feels somewhat candid and contemporary in its argument for taking time to yourself before diving into a new relationship. Similarly, “END This (L.O.V.E.),” co-written by Steinfeld, is a fun flip on the standard, in which she convincingly delivers a scorned-woman sentiment.

Steinfeld doesn’t yet have enough of an established personality as a singer to make paint-by-numbers pop her own. The desire to make a meatier banger is clearly there, given how long she’s been at it and the kind of material she chooses; she has the voice and the baseline taste level. It’s hard to imagine, though, that any of these songs will make her a recognizable force in pop.

(A. N.:  HAILEE'S EP REVIEW
WAS TAKEN AND COPIED FROM
VARIETY'S REVIEW, WRITTEN BY
NATALIE WEINER.  THE AUTHOR
DID NOT WRITE A SINGLE WORD
OF HALF WRITTEN STORY'S REVIEW
PORTRAYED ON THIS BOOK)

CAMOUFLAGE BY MATILDE PAES BRAGANÇA

After close to four years without releasing any music solely under her name (little over a year ago, Paes released a collaborative album with best friend Taylor Swift, reputation, treading into new waters and accomplishing her first #1 single on the BB Hot 200), Camouflage is described by the singer as the bridge between Revival and her future album, seemingly already mostly finished.  Admittedly, this EP has too many similarities to Revival, released in 2015. But then again, the songs featured on this EP were mostly written between 2015 and 2017.

Alike Steinfeld, Paes sings about a failed relationship, ironically with the same man as Steinfeld - Niall Horan, who Paes dated for little more than a year, before a traumatic break-up (leading to a suicide attempt and a more tame relationship with Sebastian Stan). This EP, it seems, is all about the behind the scenes of this relationship.

Cologne, a slow track lyrically teased last year, Paes describes her feelings waiting for her lover alone, at home, with no one but herself (and his cologne) for entertainment. Arguably not the best song in the EP, but it does provide amazing production and great vocals, as is the singer's trademark.

Camouflage and Perfect are the songs that make the EP. On its own Perfect would be more than enough, the story telling of a woman who knows that there's someone else and, in despair, attempts to become more in the eyes of her lover. Heart breaking and able to pull at one's heart strings, Perfect is a cocktail of emotions.

Cologne, however, is a ballad surviving solely on piano keys and raspy vocals. With sudden but well placed belts, it's all about the feeling of unobtainable closure and the pain of seeing a former lover.

At the end of the day, both women attempt the same - to have their names branded into his skin and mind, Steinfeld by praying her name causes him hurt and Paes by assuring him that without her, he'll always be alone.

However, on my opinion, only one achieves her prospected goal. Or at least, that's what Horan's future sophomore leads you to assume.

☁️☁️☁️
(

after the preview party)

checking her phone one last time, she sighs, dejected.  a call, a text or a simple dismissal would put her mind at ease. or at least offer her some explanation of what had happened hours before.

(she deduces he is too busy with an after party to reply to her)

with a burst of confidence, she grabs the wine bottle, checks herself in the mirror one last time, before getting out of the car, adjusting the velvet pyjama she'd changed into after her performance and hasty departure.

her heels click noisily on the pavement leading to his door, almost like a warning for her to turn back and leave. instead, she walks faster, pressing the buzzer impatiently, typical of hers.

the door opens minutes later, her arms already crossed in front of her chest, gripping the wine bottle as though the closure she so desperately seeked depended on it.

"matilde?"
"hi, can I come in?"

with a slow, confused nod, the door opens wider, allowing her to slip inside the house quickly. waking into the warm hall, she watches a bewildered Niall close the front door behind her.

shaking the bottle in the air, she makes her way to the where the kitchen is, never looking back again.

☁️☁️☁️

how, ok this was a long as hell chapter, which I also didn't proof read, sorry.

xx