Arden Alexa – Petty Bitch (2023)
Lying somewhere between Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, singer-songwriter Arden Alexa embodies the feisty and sugary-sweet sound of old-school pop. Leaning toward the pop sounds of the early 2000s (which is old-school considering it was 20 years ago), Alexa captures the joy, hopefulness and inspiration of humanity in her raw singles; however, while there is an innocence in the delightful melodies, a sophisticated quality anchors listeners so you don’t go flying off on a pop-induced high.
Navigating the complexities of relationships, Arden Alexa tackles the good, the bad and the ugly sides in her moving songs. When we left Alexa, at least review-wise, she tread through the bubble-gum pink pop ‘Strawberry Pie’ to “…recreate all the playful, fun youth of that relationship…” Interestingly, just as a slice of the strawberry pie was pleasant and hopeful, there was a worm in the mix expressing the sarcastic hurt of a breakup but, as Alexa shares, it was an “ironic getting over you song with a freeing, joyful anthem.” In ‘Petty Bitch’ she approaches relationships in the same attitude – sort of.
The end of a romantic relationship can be painful but often the end of a long-term friendship cuts deeper. Taken off her well-received EP ’22, ‘Petty Bitch’ reignites the roaring ferocity of ‘Strawberry Pie’. Unlike ‘Strawberry Pie’, a strong rock-inspired style captures the angst, aggression and rage behind the broken childhood friendship. A slip of Paramore blasts through in the guitar-driven single backed by crashing drums in a chaotic sonic bubble.
While the melody can have you jumping about in a reckless throw of brash emotions, it is a combination of Alexa’s vocals with profound lyricism that takes ‘Petty Bitch’ to another level. A slip of Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams shimmer along Alexa’s typically pretty pink pop design granting a heavier, darker and vengeful quality. The Taylor Swift sweetness is underlying in Alexa’s dulcet tones; however, a smash of “well, stuff you as well” tints her vocals with an indulgent layer of frenzied passion.
“After a dramatic friend breakup left me feeling both sad and angry, I needed an outlet to help me get over the grief of losing my childhood best friend. My solution came in the form of this song. What began as just a joke (being mean to anyone is wildly out of character for me) quickly turned into a sort of therapy… a way to channel my anger into something so outrageously fun that I was able to work through my feelings about the situation… When listeners find that being the bigger person or wallowing in their grief isn’t working, I hope they can turn on this song, scream the lyrics and move on.” – Arden Alexa on ‘Petty Bitch’
In addition to the single, Arden Alexa released an official music video for ‘Petty Bitch’. You can view it below or via her YouTube channel.
Find out more about Arden Alexa on her official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Discover more indie-pop tracks on The Other Side Reviews Indie Pop playlist:
