The UK’s resident hot-pink hot-mess returns with a vibrant new EP

Following her February release Ex Talk, GIRLI has just dropped her second EP of the year. Damsel in Distress is an exploration of relationships, both with others and herself. Delving into topics of mental health, body image and self-perception, this EP demonstrates that despite the evolution of her sound over the years, GIRLI has never lost that which makes her music so distinctive – her honesty and vulnerability, even in the face of uncomfortable or often undiscussed topics. 

Milly Toomey has never been one to stray away from taboos, something which is immediately evident when attending her live shows, during which she has been known to chuck tampons into the crowd and dance around a giant cardboard cut-out of a sanitary towel packet. This fearlessness is what instantly attracted me to her music several years ago, when I happened to stumble across the deliciously bold Hot Mess music video, and it is what keeps me clinging onto her every move four years later.

Kicking off the album is More Than a Friend, a passionate glimpse into a lesbian crush that distracts the narrator from her heterosexual relationship. It is your classic unrequited love story with a queer twist, fuelled by the pent-up frustration that quivers behind the vocally restrained verses and is released in the belting choruses. By showcasing the full breadth of her vocal range, this track illustrates the development of GIRLI’s music, which used to prioritise rapping over melody. Her move towards a more melodically driven sound not only allows her talent to shine through, but also makes the music more emotionally intense. This is evident when comparing More Than a Friend to her 2016 single Girl I Met on the Internet, which, despite its similar subject matter, comes across as more of a casual adolescent fantasy than a heartfelt confession.

Next up is Dysmorphia, a personal glimpse into Girli’s struggles with Body Dysmorphia. While Milly has been relatively open about her battle with eating disorders in the past, this track provides her fanbase with their first proper insight into what she describes as “the monster who lives inside my brain, who takes all the self-hating messages I see on social media, in magazines, on TV and constantly reminds me that I’m not good enough.” The lyrics can be summed up in the line “Best way to describe it / When you see red, all I see is blue”, which, while somewhat reductive, perfectly captures the disorder’s illogical nature in accessible terms.

Reverting to the topic of romance, Ricochet sees the narrator favouring the seduction of a destructive relationship over the stability of a healthier one. On this track, the EP’s underlying theme of harmful addiction becomes apparent. To first time listeners, the line “Addicted to this / And I hate you for it” may seem eerily familiar, having just heard the line “‘Cause she warps my reflection and makes me obsessive / I hate it” in Dysmorphia. Whether the similarity between these lyrics is her comment on the nature of relationships or is a mere coincidence remains to be seen. Regardless, what struck me most when listening to this track is the musical influences. The verses are reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s Ready For It, lead primarily by a drums and heavy bass, while the chorus and bridge give off a Charli XCX feel, featuring autotune and catchy, repetitive lyrics. 

We are presented with a change of pace in Ruthless, a bitter lament for the loss of innocence that accompanies adulthood. This track instantly establishes itself as the odd one out by beginning with a soothing acoustic guitar before the chorus returns to the classic GIRLI electro-pop sound. The drastic transition gives the chorus an angry edge, while the verses come across as reflective and mournful. There’s a sense that the narrator has been failed by the world, morphed into a ruthless pessimist by the cruelty of humanity. Amongst all the angst and resentment, she expresses a sentiment undoubtedly shared by many of her listeners — the feeling of being “a kid in a grown-up suit.” As someone who recently finished university and is being faced with the prospect of real responsibility for the first time in my life, this struck a chord with me. There’s a certain comfort in knowing that even people like GIRLI sometimes feel like an imposter.

Closing the EP is I Don’t Like Myself, a somewhat self-explanatory track exploring the intricacies of self-hatred. Lyrically, this track shares a similar subject matter with Dysmorphia, discussing the futility of comparison in the age of social media. With the verse, I found myself recalling some of her earlier music, the steady drumbeat being reminiscent of Mr 10pm Bedtime. Contrastingly, the chorus evoked Marina’s Love + Fear; particularly on tracks like True, that are equally as synth-driven.

Ultimately, Damsel in Distress is a testament to GIRLI’s maturing musical abilities: from instrumental experimentation to lyrical growth. It is evident when browsing her discography that during her time in the music industry she has shed her adolescence with a powerful dignity whilst maintaining her playful, rebellious side. There’s a refreshing sense of self-awareness behind the lyrics of this EP, which gives the impression that despite her hang-ups, this is a woman who knows herself and knows the power that her art holds.