In bold and bright colors over an electric pop sound, Holiday Sidewinder’s debut album, Forever Or Whatever, is the light-hearted, honest, and unfiltered record the pop world needs right now. If Holiday Sidewinder isn’t the next artist on your radar, then she should be.
Born and raised in Australia, the indie-pop singer-songwriter, musician, and producer has been making music her entire life. A debut album of her own is something that she has dreamed about releasing ever since she was a child. “It’s written in the stars,” Sidewinder used to say, and in the light of her record’s release, the stars have never shined brighter.
From her electric hit single, “Leo” to the enticing and dramatic “Holiday Inn,” Sidewinder is proving that a pop sound reminiscent of the 1980s deserves a place in 2019, and lucky for us, she figured out how to do it fearlessly and flawlessly. Named a glam-pop powerhouse and “global pop sensation” by Paper Magazine, Sidewinder might have carved out this pop-singer route for herself, but the honest storytelling and crafty imagery and illusions that shine through in her music are what makes her unique.
The musicality of Forever Or Whatever is layers upon layers of snare drums, electronic pianos, and synthesizers mixed together to bring back memories of what might have poured out of ‘80s radio airwaves. It’s a sound that pop radio of the twenty-first century hasn’t heard in a while. From dance tracks like “Tra$h Can Luv” to the sweetness laid out in “Whispers,” nobody is making pop music like this anymore, and while the album offers incredible tones and melodic cadences, the tracks truly come to life once Sidewinder’s bright vocals enter the scene.
With a breathy tone reserved for only the greatest and bravest female pop singers, Sidewinder allows her voice to tell stories. Placed over animated pop beats you can’t help but dance to, there is a uniqueness that resides within her voice. Perhaps it’s her soft tone paired perfectly with electronica, or the truth in her lyrics that makes her voice one you want to keep hearing. Either way, Sidewinder isn’t your normal pop-star, and the reason why is because she isn’t here to apologize.
Listening to pop radio today, there is no doubt you’ll find a love song laced with a confession of guilt, apology or shame. On this record, however, Holiday Sidewinder has nothing to apologize for. On her hit single, “Leo,” she sings “Leo, Rodrigo, live in the moment then let it go / Marco, Diego, I’ll give you tonight but I won’t call you tomorrow.” It’s a catchy pop tune that a growing streaming audience is quickly falling in love with. It’s also just a song about continuous one-night stands, and Sidewinder sings about it with a conviction that living on the edge is something that makes life worth it – “Life goes on, just move on, just move on.”
Unlike many pop artists today, Sidewinder is also the one person at the forefront of all her creative endeavors. From raising the funds she needed to make her album by selling satin underwear to writing and recording every song on her own, it’s no surprise that this fierce female persona is spearheading her own game. Relatives back home have said that she is all about the music and was born to do it. On a mission to change pop music for the better, this album proves that the singer is already on her way.
Holiday Sidewinder is the dreamy pop sensation and breath of fresh air that the straight and narrow roads of the pop world need, and perhaps beholds the fun-filled lightness that people are always looking for – a sound that’s different. Someone new, something refreshing. Now that Forever Or Whatever is here, I guess we can all stop dreaming. “All that glitters is gold,” she sings on the classy and daring track “Casino,” but with songs as magnetic and electrifying as the ones of this album and a personality brighter and braver than all the neon lights put together, Sidewinder’s got nothing but gold ahead of her.
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