Marika Hackman - 'i’m not where you are'
Following on from the progressive self-exploration and direct lyricism of her second album, ‘I’m Not Your Man’ is the lavish confidence of Marika Hackman’s latest single ‘I’m not where you are’. Distinctly more indie-rock than she has dared to go before, the sound has traces of one of her most talked about songs ‘Boyfriend’ with more ballsy guitar riffs.
Given the success of Héloïse Letissier aka Christine & The Queens, inrecapturing female sexuality as something of personal enjoyment and not for the male gaze, it is a welcome sight for another artist in the LGBTQI community to be championing that effort and letting other people know that it is okay to be unapologetically yourself. “I’m not where you are” is not your typical song about break-ups. It has all the swagger of your favourite synth-laden, electric guitar drenched pop song, with the tongue in cheek lyrics that Marika has made her signature: “I’ve been trying to find the point in human contact. I get bored like that.” It’s the kind of song that you can strut around your room to, trying to displace the blame in a bad situation, but beneath the surface you realise that maybe it is all about you. As Marika explains; “on the surface it seems like an arrogant ‘everybody falls in love with me’ kind of song but it’s actually incredibly lonely, introspective and self-deprecating”.
After announcing the song with the confident caption; “Ladies and gentlemen hold on to your wigs cause this bish is back” I cannot wait to hear more from the upcoming album.
Words by Tyler Damara Kelly