Wake up, babe, the latest manic pixie dream girl anthem by Chinese American alt-pop songstress Emei just dropped. Just ahead of her sophomore EP comes the lead single sharing the same name, “Cynical,” on July 14. Known for her dripping vocals, colorful lyrics, and slicing wit, Emei is taking the world by storm. After garnering over 12 million Spotify streams for her latest releases, “Irresponsible” and “Scatterbrain,” Emei continues to explore young adulthood through her hyper-relatable musings with “Cynical.”
Cynical Yet Promising
Led with an energetic chant, “Cynical” bursts open with life only to ooze out Emei’s deepest, self-inflicting desires. She sweetly sings, “Things are in their place / All kept in a row / Soon as they feel safe / I get bored.” The song then transitions to a chilling dark alt-pop sound. The track’s chorus is grungy and gritty, both sonically and lyrically, as Emei embraces her self-sabotaging nature.
With a complete shift in sound, Emei sings, “I’m unhappy ever after / I’m destined for disaster,” in a somewhat dreamlike state, only for the song to rewind into a cacophony of sounds. The “Cynical” music video is just as haunting, with its choke shots, chaotic duplicates of Emei, and a final flame-lit shot of her in the dark.
On The Rise
Emei’s dramatic flair and determination to push the boundaries of pop music has catapulted her into virality. With 11.8 million likes on her TikTok and more than 240,000 Instagram followers, she is steadily building up her own fan base and is about to embark on her first headline tour in the fall. Make sure to keep with the rising star on social media for updates on her upcoming EP. You can listen to “Cynical” now on Apple Music and Spotify now!
Want to hear more about the latest music? Check out our breakdown on ODD EYE CIRCLE’s EP here!
