Some Kind Of Black Magic

Alessia Cara “Somebody Else”

It took me a little while to realize that “Somebody Else” sounded weirdly familiar because what I was recognizing was elements from an unexpected source – the melodies, chords, and stylishly immaculate production style is all very Phoenix. Whether this was intentional or not the aesthetic suits Alessia Cara’s voice well, flattering the clarity of her tone and allowing space for more nuanced phrasing to register without dropping the direct and assertive tone of a pop track. The crispness of the music is also an effective contrast with Cara’s ambivalent tone through the song as she ponders how someone she once loved could become such a stranger to her. There’s no clear cut feelings here, just a woman trying to make sense of dulled pains, vague regrets, and uncertainty of how much it really matters that something has been lost.

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