Ahead of her forthcoming second album as a solo artist, Ex:Re – the moniker of Daughter singer Elena Tonra – has released her new single, ‘Am I Even Real?’ One of three releases from the album, following ‘Radio Station’ and ‘Sleep’, this track finds itself sitting at the centre of all the projects Tonra has been involved in, exhibiting the rockier elements of Daughter’s earlier music alongside the jaded lyricism of ‘Music from Before the Storm’ and Tonra’s first solo record.
Dealing with dissociation and existentialism, the single was first imagined as a much slower, sadder track. However, subject to an improvisation session in the studio, Tonra and producer Fabian Prynn gave it new life through a faster tempo. Kickstarted by a boxy drumbeat and dissonant backing vocals, the track gradually spirals around the refrain, “It’s only me / But am I even real?” – a self-interrogation around staying true to yourself whilst being in a relationship. Collating the different sounds Tonra has explored over the years, ‘Am I Even Real?’ bridges the nostalgia of her older projects with lyrics that explore new anxieties and reflections. It pivots considerably from the record’s previous single, ‘Sleep’, and promises an unconstraint to ‘Save As’ that may make it Tonra’s most compelling project yet.
Liesel Bradbury
Instagram / Substack
Image: ‘Save As’ Official Album Cover
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