Gabriella Raelyn – Crush at first sight… (2024)
In recent years the term pop has grown arms and legs, offering wonderfully abstract takes on the genre which has defined music for the past 60 years. With her new single ‘Crush at first sight…’ Colorado native Gabriella Raelyn, is showing how to pay homage to catchiness that makes pop, pop whilst keeping it fresh with subtly dark undertone.
Honestly when first hearing it I was taken back to the first time I watched The Terminator and I watched Sarah Connor getting pursued through Tech Noir, from the opening bars, it couldn’t be more 80’s if it tried. It’s all round a piece of fantastic pop music, Raelyn’s vocals set it apart from the many tracks I could compare it too. Her delivery is nigh on perfect, the right level of regiment and emotion, which 80’s synth pop legend Phil Oakey would be proud of.
I think this track works at its core because it taps into a feeling we can all relate too, I think Raelyn summed it up best herself: “Overall, the track is really about the feelings of having a crush upon seeing someone for the first time based on one’s own preconceived notions and not necessarily based on reality. It’s an exploration into how carried away one can get when seeing someone through their ideals rather than who they really are…” By leaning into the 80s vibe is a stroke of genius, as it plays on the narrative of eyes meeting across a dark club and that rush of thoughts you get when you experience that initial attraction and all logic goes out the window.
Raelyn is definitely one to watch in the ever evolving multifaceted world of pop that is evolving before our eyes. By self-directing the video for “Crush at first sight….”, she exhibits qualities that all the greats have by being able to approach her art from multiple angles, making everything she produces undeniably hers.
Find out more about Gabriella Raelyn on her Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Listen to more pop music on The Other Side Reviews Pop playlist:
