Piri & Tommy make their great return, completely diverting their production from soft, liquid drum and bass into dreamy bedroom pop. With hyperpop influencing many artists in the current scene, Piri & Tommy have restructured their image, all while keeping their original, hazy flair. ‘Magic!’ is sure to be eighteen minutes you won’t regret.

The EP opens with ‘someone’, a song swiftly asserting their shift from the likes of ‘soft spot’ and ‘on & on’. ‘Someone’ taps into this woozy, bedroom pop sound that’s been on the rise since 2019, particularly prevalent on the likes of TikTok. With slower drums and a catchy melody, it’s easy to see the versatility of this track. It combines both the soft and sweet voices of Sophie (Piri) McBurnie and Tommy Villiers, which is a new direction from the duo, as opposed to just Piri’s vocals. 

'Miss provocative’ feels extremely nostalgic. It emulates the y2k revival we are seeing in pop music, namely from artists such as PinkPantheress. It is stylish, sassy and playful, yet empowering. It preaches the importance of self-confidence – “And they hate to see a girl win / So they try to knock her down / What they talkin' 'bout now?”.

‘Venus’, a collaboration with t.o, feels more relaxed, breaking down the EP. It’s repetitive melodies and playful vocals almost make it feel like loading screen music for a game. It is painfully yet excellently catchy, with its perfectly crafted chorus: “Dancey little diva, feel the beat burn / Always gonna keep her nicе and warm”.

The EP’s lyricism shifts from a bratty charm to sentimentality and yearning. ‘Tom & zendaya’, uses a catchy chorus to reminisce on Hollywood’s most wholesome couple. It aligns perfectly with McBurnie and Villiers known romantic tension as a duo, something which they’ve expressed through social media previously. Evidently, the duo’s chemistry seems not to exist only musically.

‘Locked up’ upholds the same energy as ‘venus’, with a repetitive, infectious melody, whereas the albums finisher ‘magic’, gives a different energy, similar to their previous work. ‘Magic’ gives us faster drums, with some sneaky undertones of UK Garage. It combines chopped up vocals with layers of sound to create an irresistible track.

It’s safe to say that ‘magic!’ is a successful redirection for the duo. The slight shift in genre and slower rhythms enhances the dreamy vocals that have always been a success in the duo’s music.  The duo has a bright future ahead of them, with a US tour rearing to go for early 2026, it’s exciting to see where they’ll go next.

Emma Monaghan

@eemmamonaghan

Image: 'magic' by piri & tommy Official EP Cover