My Immediate Action Is Required

Madelline “Participation Trophies”

“Participation Trophies” is written in the plain spoken first person “relatable” voice that has been dominant in young pop for a while now but veers off model in a significant way – instead of being written from the perspective of some annoyed and wronged person, it’s an incredibly self-deprecating song about being a total loser. Send this song 30 years back in time and it’s an indie slacker song, though people might be lost on what “airpods” are. Madelline’s vocal delivery is deadpan even in the more uplifting bits of the song which nudge the sentiment towards shrugging self-acceptance. The production style is clean and glossy enough to make it all sound like a sunny day, but the structure of the song gently rebels against its own drive towards anthemic rock. It gets there, but everything seems to resolve in some form of “oh well, whatever, never mind.”

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