Emily Bowen’s debut album Hate Me For This hits like a series of unfiltered diary entries. The songs were written with the intent of tapping into some of Bowen’s deeper emotions, and the only way for her to access them was to abandon all pretenses and simply write exactly what she was feeling, in the exact words that came to mind during that moment. “Room 17” is a prime illustration, with an admittedly non-poetic lyrical approach that hits harder because of it. The song adopts a confessional indie-pop style that also explores a soft-to-loud aesthetic juxtaposition, and the result is a piece that sounds as powerful as the emotions the artist is attempting to convey — even if she can’t quite find the words. Hate Me For This was released on January 3rd, 2025, and can be heard in its entirety here.
(Worthwhile)
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