Drinking Problems by Emme Oneill is a synth-pop track that begins with a reversed organ chord progression, building into the darkness she’s trying to convey in her music. Then, we hear her low, husky mezzo voice and spaced-out drum beats. The music intends to make a gothic entrance as she starts singing, “I’ve been spending all night alone / waiting fadedly staring at my phone,” giving us the imagery of her reality.
By the rest of the first verse, we hear the first drop of the EDM beat alongside the rich organs before we hear a different sound in the chorus. The song finally evolves into a sweet synth-pop with modern pop, hi-fi, and R&B influences in the chorus.
In the next verse, Emme mocks a cheating situation (“she’s just a friend”) at her expense by asserting he loves to play pretend, while a layered ghostly voice of Emme lulls the phrase darkly.
Featuring Big Trip, he takes up a verse with a more detailed vision of her destructive lifestyle. In the lyrics of Big Trip’s verse, ‘Let me tell you how I feel,” There’s a void that you fill,” and “It’s better than popping these pills,’ she justifies her habits. The smooth rap verse adds more authenticity to the lyrics of her song by layering the electric guitar with spitting truth.
Emme makes it clear in Drinking Problems that she doesn’t want to sugarcoat reality. So, she presents the harsh truth in her song with her music, wishing to help anyone going through this situation relate and know they are not alone.
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Review by: Naomi Joan