By Kerry Doole
renforshort - virtual reality (Interscope/UMC): At just 18, this Toronto singer/songwriter has already generated serious international industry buzz. She is signed to Interscope, and 2020 debut EP teenage angst elicited superlatives from the likes of NME, American Songwriter, and Rolling Stone.
She most recently released her cover of the Gorillaz' track Feel Good Inc., featuring guitar sensation Mateus Asato, and has just been named Amazon Music Canada’s Developing Artist of the Month for March. Now comes virtual reality, the first single from an upcoming EP. It was written by Lauren Isenberg (aka renforshort), Kellen Pomeranz (Pom Pom), and Jesse Fink, and produced by Pom Pom (John Legend, Noah Cyrus, Lelya Blue), with additional production from Pete Robertson (Beabadoobee).
The tune has a pop-punk feel, with a few dance-pop touches featured in the production, while her vocal style is reminiscent of early Avril Lavigne. An effective combination.
In a label press release, renforshort describes virtual reality as "a song that tackles many topics. But at its core, it really is about anxiety, routine, boredom, isolation, loneliness, and fear. I think a lot of people have a very unhealthy relationship with technology because it’s never really been restricted enough to consider mental health and overall health, and that has fucked so many people up, now more than ever.”
“Ever since I was young, social media has played a major role in my mental wellbeing, and I became so accustomed to it, it became a part of my routine and it came before everything else. The moment I wake up, almost instinctively, I check my phone."
These sentiments are reaffirmed in such song lyrics as "18 plugged in and out of touch, I think sometimes I think too much, self diagnosed with self sabotage." A timely warning, given that the pandemic lockdown has encouraged even more social media use.
Links
Publicity: Stephanie Horak, UMC Canada
Booking agent: Rob Zifarelli, Paradigm
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