Unusual circumstances consistently breed a variety of socially-relevant songs about pain, fear and hope. The ongoing pandemic is no different and artists all over the world are releasing their own versions of COVID-19 manifestos into the ether for consumption.
Enter “Nihilist,” the brand new tune from New York’s Alessandra Licul. On her latest single, the indie pop singer-songwriter, who performs under the musical moniker Fleurt, captures the ennui at the core of millennial angst in song by way of infectious bedroom pop. Prominently built around a melancholy jingle that glistens with shimmering bells and a subdued Jack Antonoff-style electronic drum beat and synth combo, Fleurt’s disillusionment with her journey from innocence to experience is simultaneously danceable and evocative.
The song’s driving melody, while sad and cute, is achingly personal, prying at you with the lonely affection of the pleading face emoji. Fleurt’s singing strikes a happy medium somewhere between hopelessly fearful and playfully self-deprecating. In either case, she’s quite the charmer. “Thinking maybe I’m a masochist,” she sings, shrugging off her self-realization like another casual turn of events. She continues, “Always have something to get over / I hope I don’t stay like this forever,” suggesting that perhaps under all the layers of mid-20s-induced apathy is an unfulfilled longing for meaning and purpose.
Listen to “Nihilist” below and keep up with the latest music and news from Fleurt on Instagram.
Riffs & Rhymes 