I’m warming up my lunch in the microwave while I listen to Baby Queen’s EP, Medicine, absolutely captivated by the London-based & South Africa-born artist’s inner world and nearly burning my food in the process. The cold, wet grayness of the outside (37° Fahrenheit, to be exact) is melted away by what I can only describe with my synesthesia as pure, hot color. The lushness of this songstress’s synthesizer coupled with the grungy drive of the electric guitar add to the effect, and so much more. Her candor and sincerity surrounding the toxicity of the Internet & its effects on mental health are a breath of fresh air in a music industry that is dominated by materialism and superficiality, and though I’m shivering because of the chill of reality, my heart is warmed by the mutual understanding that I share with this artist on the truth of why the Internet is so damaging. Perhaps the Internet is a colder environment for the mind than the winter seasons of reality.
And a cold winter it is, especially as the death toll from the pandemic rises by thousands each day. “All of the cheaters prosper and all of the quitters win, And he’s your president because you voted for him”, echoes the EP’s fourth track, Buzzkill. Due to the pandemic’s prevention strategies, many people (and hopefully most) have sought contact not physically, but instead by FaceTime or text (or, ya know, Zoom). However, we quickly remembered that there truly is nothing like human contact, which many of us have been lacking since our countries closed down. Loneliness and the sheer shock of going through such a life-changing event have contributed to a rise in mental health issues globally, hitting young adults hard. Perhaps from the upward trend of loneliness that started for many of these young adults in late-winter of 2020, a new phenomenon arose: the “quarantine bae”. The loneliness and the “fuck it, I might die tomorrow” attitude of the times encouraged many to seek intimate relationships online or to finally tell their crushes how they feel. The lyrics of this mini-album and the vibe they convey are uncanny mirrors not only of the world in 2020, but of the present and future digital worlds that leave a toxic imprint on the minds of many young people, a prevailing theme of the EP. And, here we move onto “Online Dating,” the last track of Medicine.
No one wants to be alone, and with one listen of the EP’s last track “Online Dating”, one no longer has to be alone in the difficulties of forming new relationships and battling with one’s own mind during the pandemic. Whether or not this song was written from the point of view of someone isolated because of the pandemic, it is always relevant in pointing out the pitfalls of finding love on the Internet, simultaneously making a statement on our environment as a world that is becoming increasingly digital. Not only that, but it is the artist’s personal diary on her experiences with projection in relationships, insecurity, and mental health, which are presented as if to expose the listener’s own feelings with its witty, wry lyrics. Arabella Latham points her finger at the listener as they are confronted with these lyrics that resonate all too well with anyone who was raised on the Internet and who describes themselves as Latham has described herself — as a “misfit”.
This British pop star makes other self-proclaimed “misfits” feel understood as she illustrates how the Internet’s beauty standards and toxicity alienate those who don’t fit the standards in a world that is already so alienated. That is why her voice is such a powerful, and quickly rising one — no one else is singing about the things she is, and not in the way she’s doing it. She will continue to gain more power after I show the amazing Medicine and the catchy “Online Dating” to all my friends, as I highly recommend you do. It’s really good.
Written by Lola Works.
Listen to Medicine EP by Baby Queen here:
Velvet Noise 