TikTok star Abby Roberts makes a pleasantly surprising debut with her indie-pop single ‘Paramaniac’
TikTok proves once again that it’s the platform to launch a music career on
Photo: Press
TikTok has served as a launchpad for many artists in recent years; even ones that are now successful in the indie music space. It’s argued to be a blessing and a curse; however, the ones that grace our ears with wonderful tunes shouldn't be underestimated. 2022 seems to be off to a promising start in the social media music sphere with one of TikTok’s own.
British media star Abby Roberts may be best known on the app for her stunning and creative makeup looks, but she’s starting off this year with something new. Accompanied by an Alice In Wonderland-inspired video, Roberts released her debut into the world.
Going with a bedroom indie-pop style of music serves Roberts well; her soft vocals feel light as air and sweet as candy when combined with a sparkling instrumental of electric guitars, drums, and synths.
Don’t be fooled by the bright tonality of Paramanic, the existential crisis take centre stage as she contemplates everything in life while realizing that, yes, she probably is a paramaniac (“When did become so hard to please, yeah / Must be nice for it to come so easy / Can’t complain, it’s me, I should change”). It’s the classic combination of the tried-and-true ‘happy melody, sad lyrics’ juxtaposition but it doesn’t fail to impress with the 21st-century approach to existentialism.
For a debut effort, it’s impressive that Roberts has taken such a personal approach to her music. One look at her Spotify and you can see where the indie influence comes from; however, she’s not taking something old and repurposing it for the sake of putting out a song. It’s down-to-earth and carefully crafted to be accessible beyond her fanbase. Fans of Clario, beabadoobee, and the likes of Honeymoon era Lana Del Rey vintage feels might find something great in Roberts’ first step forward.
While it may be a new year, we’re all still going through it; perhaps Paramaniac is the dose of relatability you need right about now. Even if there’s a waiting period before we get another taste of what Abby Roberts has to offer, whatever comes next looks promising.