After the viral TikTok success of her single, ‘Princesses don’t cry,’ the fledgling Canadian pop artist Aviva Mongillo, CARYS, has released her debut EP, To Anyone Like Me, defining her as the next pop princess. The title is a look into the depths of the 22-year-old’s mind with each track showcasing her ability to tell vulnerable and complex stories underneath a melodic pop sound.
In an interview with ReadEchoOnline, CARYS told the magazine that the EP mainly focuses on letting go of resentment, learning about self-reflection and growth. She detailed the time-period in which she wrote in was filled with the need for validation, romanticizing the past, fearing the future, and people-pleasing.
To Anyone Like Me kicks off with ‘Love (Validation)‘ an upbeat ballad that details the desperation of seeking validation through love. The vulnerability she showcases during this track is a rarity in pop music, but CARYS proves that she is unafraid to blend the two together. The layered chorus begs the question “What do I gotta do to get some love? / Why does it gotta hurt to feel so much?”
The narrative of desperation quickly fades out through the transition into ‘No More‘, when the CARYS finds her worth. In the aftermath of a party, she decides that she, literally and figuratively, doesn’t need anyone to lean on no more. The angelic and powerful vocals fuse beautifully to create a sound that can only be defined as the future of pop.
The shortest, and arguably lyrically weakest, track belongs to ‘Crush,’ easily the most forgettable on the EP. Dropping first as a single, the song presents itself as loose and incomplete with the lyrics detailing the feelings one has when first experiencing a crush. The potential that the title puts forth is completely lost by it’s repetitive and monotonous the chorus.
The EP begins to wrap itself up with ‘When A Girl,’ ‘Princesses Don’t Cry,’ and ‘Maybe I’ll Call You,’ the three strongest and most vulnerable tracks on the record.
Touching on themes of vulnerability, self-esteem and pressures as a young woman in ‘When A Girl’ and ‘Princesses Don’t Cry,’ CARYS details not only life in the music industry but struggles of everyday life elegantly. Redeeming itself from its predecessors, the three track run falls into itself perfectly, with her powerhouse vocals shining through.
CARYS’ To Anyone Like Me is a strong debut onto the pop scene, with powerful narratives that are supported by an upbeat sound. With some low moments aside, CARYS proves herself to be much more than a TikTok single.
