Photo Credit: Steph Verschuren
+ LISTEN TO THE NEW SINGLE “BOOHOO”
+ “DEBBIE DOWNER” EP OUT TODAY
op-punk rising star LØLØ has cemented her place in the genre’s ongoing renaissance as she continues to be likened to the scene’s female pioneers, Paramore and Avril Lavigne, and having toured with pop-punk titans like Neck Deep, Mayday Parade, Waterparks, New Found Glory and Less than Jake. Today (September 30th) she shares her new EP debbie downer. The project is both sonically daring and emotionally candid, baring her innermost thoughts through striking guitar riffs, thrashing percussive beats, and cheeky lyrics.
debbie downer initially seems to take the perspective of an outsider looking in, but in actuality is a cumulation of LØLØ’s own self-reflection. She explains, “After I wrote the first track of the EP, debbie downer, that’s when I realized I wanted to write an entire project about her. Of course, I can now confidently say that Debbie is… well…ME. But it’s a lot easier to project all of your deepest darkest issues on somebody else, instead of sitting down and actually taking a moment to self-reflect, right?” The 6-track project addresses topics such as anxiety, depression, toxic relationships, and the overwhelming state of the world we live in.
Along with the EP, LØLØ shares lead single and angst-ridden ballad “ boohoo” in which she comes to terms with the harsh realities of growing up. Beginning with a simplistic piano melody and ending with a chorus of jarring electric guitars and aggressive drum kits, the track demonstrates the complexity to maturing in more ways than one.
The EP opens with the grungy title track “debbie downer” featuring the alt-rock sensation Maggie Lindemann. The track is reminiscent of the perennial pop-punk anthem “American Idiot” but lyrically alludes to the 2000’s classic movie, “Bring It On” by providing a clever take on the cheer chant a “It’s Cold in Here.” As the project’s opener, the track brings pop-punk back to its roots and demonstrates LØLØ’s true dedication to the rebirth of the genre.
Unabashedly vulnerable and electrifyingly catchy, “THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!” explores LØLØ’s experience with anxiety and “that feeling when you REALLY wanna get out of bed, but you just can’t move.” A play on the age-old children’s game, she explains, “I used to play THE FLOOR IS LAVA game as a kid, but as I got older, I started to feel like the Floor actually WAS lava.” The track builds up to the chorus with distorted guitars and frantic drums before LØLØ’s fierce vocals emerge through the madness for a punching hook.
LØLØ’s most recent single “u turn me on (but u give me depression)” deliberates a toxic love affair over an experimental pop-punk soundscape. LØLØ replaces her typical raspy vocals with an effortless but volatile voice as she sings over reverberating guitars muted with synth overlays. The story of fatal infatuation continues with the track “junkie” as LØLØ compares her addiction to a partner to that of a drug and its user. “I have a problem. I’m addicted to someone who is awful for me in every way,” she explains, “I wrote “junkie” as an emotional outlet the best I could to try and rid myself of this person once and for all.”
The project closes with the emotive “asking for a friend.” Straying away from layered electric guitars, hot-tempered drumming and gravelly vocals, LØLØ establishes the other polar end of pop-punk – raw emotion and brutal honesty – in the soul-baring acoustic track. Written as a letter to herself, the song tears down stigmas and provides a sense of necessary defenselessness as LØLØ asks herself the tough questions: “She sings her songs / She calls her mom / And tells her “everything’s ok” / What would u say if she went away? / I’m just asking for a friend.”
Prior to the release of the EP, the lyric video for “asking for a friend” was released exclusively on YouTube in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day. The video premiere launched a fundraiser for the non-profit To Write Love On Her Arms and allowed fans to donate to the organization.
Of the project, LØLØ says, “This EP is for anyone who sometimes feels like they don’t belong, who is struggling with crippling anxiety, or depression, or any monsters living inside of your head. For anyone who can’t let go of a certain someone, even though it’s practically killing you, and for anyone who won’t make it out of bed today. I’m with u, b!tch.”
Born and raised in Toronto and now calling LA home, LØLØ has become an undeniable presence in the pop-punk genre. The singer-songwriter has created a striking presence both online and on stage with her effortlessly cool attitude and sharp lyricism. In 2020, LØLØ created a buzz on TikTok where she reimagined music’s biggest hits. Putting her adept lyrical skills to use, she rewrote verses from the opposite perspective of the song’s subject, while still maintaining the original integrity of each song’s tempo and rhyme scheme. Most notably, her take on Taylor Swift’s “Betty” from “Betty’s perspective” caught the attention of Swifties and went viral on the platform. She performed at Lollapalooza and wrapped dates with Waterparks, Neck Deep, Mayday Parade, and others for the Sad Summer Festival tour. In late 2021, LØLØ released her electric EP “overkill,” which came directly on the heels of her 36-stop US tour with pop-punk titans New Found Glory and Less Than Jake. LØLØ has been compared to Paramore and Avril Lavigne by Billboard, as well as receiving critical acclaim from Paper Magazine, MTV, Kerrang!, American Songwriter, Ones to Watch, Alternative Press, and many more. People Magazine called her an “Emerging Artist making their mark in music” and to date she’s amassed over 50 million streams on Spotify with her numbers continuing to climb exponentially. LØLØ is on the brink of superstardom, so stay tuned as there’s much more to come.
LØLØ – “DEBBIE DOWNER” EP TRACKLIST:
1. debbie downer (feat. Maggie Lindemann)
2. THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!
3. u turn me on (but u give me depression)
4. boohoo
5. junkie
6. asking for a friend
LØLØ SOCIALS: