EP Review: maddi jean – 'last born'

Rising pop artist maddi jean provides a bittersweet soundtrack to growing up on debut EP ‘last born’.

‘last born’ is a classic coming-of-age story. Spanning four whimsical tracks, the EP reflects on Maddi’s experiences dealing with heartache, self-worth and independence. Merging a catchy production with confessional lyricism, she creates an immersive setting that allows fellow young adults to take a look at their own relationships and fill the spaces between with their own set of emotions. “Although each track carries a different emotion and energy, they were each initially created from overwhelming thoughts that I found myself constantly coming back to and journaling about,” Maddi explains. “Each track comes from stories of confusion, determination to understand relationships, heartache, self-worth and independence. The personal connection between them all is the satisfaction I feel from being able to rewrite that negativity and confusion into something positive and uplifting!” In keeping with its youthful explorations, ‘last born’ packs an array of bubbly electro pop goodness, ranging from a 1975-esque anthem for people in third-party situations (‘greedy’), over smooth synth pop (‘night alone’) to the dreamy heights of ‘make u up’. “It isn’t easy to be young in love,” Maddi sings on opener ‘young in love’, capturing at once the maturity and self-aware nature of her debut EP. 

‘last born’ is very much about escaping the teenage life and, as such, will not resonate with everyone, but if you are looking for a faithful companion on your journey into adulthood, this EP is everything you need: A generous dose of feel-good vibes to get you through confusing times.  

Words by Laura Freyaldenhoven

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