Professionally known as girl in red, Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven first arrived on the indie-pop scene with “i wanna be your girlfriend,” a single she released on SoundCloud in 2016. When songs “we fell in love in october” and “girls” went viral on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, girl in red cemented herself as a queer icon, becoming widely known for writing love songs about women.
In addition to her popularity within the queer community, themes of mental health also made girl in red’s music particularly resonate with Gen-Z listeners. Since the very beginning of her career, unabashed descriptions of her struggles with depression and anxiety have been quite commonplace throughout her discography. Such displays of vulnerability are especially prevalent in her first album, “if i could make it go quiet.”
Now, after nearly three years away from the industry, girl in red has returned with a new sense of self on her highly-anticipated sophomore album, “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!,” released April 12. While the album tackles similar storylines to previous releases — including unrequited love and the pains of fame and getting older — she now approaches them with a newfound sense of clarity, which stands in strong contrast to the spiraling anxieties and hopelessness that plagued her throughout her debut album.
With “I’m Back,” girl in red sets the stage for the rest of the album to come. Despite references to “Serotonin,” which opened her previous project, this new song serves as its direct opposite. “I’m back, I feel like myself / I was gone for a minute ’cause I went to get help,” she sings on the track, later adding “I believe there’s hope for me” — a strong yet gentle proclamation of her resurgence and growth since the intrusive thoughts and breakdowns she once wrote about on “Serotonin.”
Such sentiments continue into the title track, this time even stronger than before. With a gritty guitar riff and explosive percussion, it seems that girl in red’s newfound hope has also brought her the confidence to feel “inflammable” and “like a rockstar.” Though lacking a bit in both lyrical and melodic complexity, “I’m Back” and “DOING IT AGAIN BABY” successfully establish an optimistic and self-assured tone, marking a clear shift in girl in red’s mindset.
Most of the eight remaining songs on the album show girl in red as her fans know her best, singing about the relationship woes that have become a staple of her music. This time, though, it is clear that production quality has dramatically increased. She brings a wide variety of emotions and instruments to the table — with experimental industrial sound effects driving “★★★★★,” and even a full orchestral backing on “Phantom Pain” — making the album feel sonically diverse and well-balanced.
But lyrical simplicity is what ultimately holds girl in red back from greatness. While her song production has certainly taken a step toward excellence, the inconsistency of her songwriting throughout the album makes even the most promising songs feel awkward. Despite boasting auspicious production quality, tracks such as “Ugly Side” and “A Night to Remember” ultimately leave listeners unsatisfied due to unsophisticated rhymes and clunky phrasing. Even with high points on “Too Much” and “New Love,” the album as a whole leaves much to be desired lyrically.
Still, “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!” shows incredible promise. Though she certainly has a long way to go to reach her full potential, the willingness girl in red has shown to experiment outside of her comfort zone is admirable, especially so early in her career. Her newfound peace and confidence in herself, as well as her renewed excitement for music, suggests that she is on track to solidify her sound and affirm herself as an artist to follow in the future.
Campbell Loi, a senior staff writer and copy editor for The Herald, is a junior from Syracuse, NY studying Public Health and International and Public Affairs. Outside of academics, she loves all things music and enjoys performing, arranging, and constantly listening to songs in her free time.
