In case you’re not up to date on who this iconic Gen-Z artist is…I’ll give you a quick run down. sombr is an emerging new artist who has gained major popularity over the past months after having several songs like “back to friends” and “undressed” go viral on TikTok. Myself and many other girlies are quite enamored with not only his insane skills as a musician, but also with his sense of humour and unmistakable personality that pops out in all his interviews. Now we flash forward to August when sombr released his debut album, “I Barely Know Her,” which is what I’m here to talk about today.
The album opens with the song “crushing,” an upbeat song with contrasting heart wrenching lyrics about remembering how great a connection used to be before you lost it. You can clearly feel this sentiment throughout the chorus that says “I miss the days when we were crushing on each other. Now you’re just crushing my soul, my lover.” This song also features some vocal effects that add a unique touch to it. Overall, this song is a great opener that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
My personal favorite from this album is “12 to 12”. This song is just so fun. Every time I hear it I just want to get up and dance. This song has a funky disco vibe to it which is a refreshing change in the world of modern pop music. Underneath the enticing beat are some of the most heartfelt lyrics ever written: “Was it always in your plan to leave eventually? Because to me, there’s no one else that could make sense to me. The last and final puzzle piece.” Like come on. That is D1 level yearning right there. As if this could get any better… the music video featured Addison Rae, another iconic Gen-Z fav. If I could only recommend one song it would be this one for sure!
I think it would be a mistake if I didn’t mention two of sombr’s most popular songs that I previously mentioned, “back to friends” and “undressed”. Both songs share similar themes of unrequited love where one person has moved on while the other is left with only the memories of what they once had. So many people were shocked to find out that sombr was only 19 when this song came out. It is a wonder how a teenager could write some of the most gutwrenchingly relatable lyrics like “I don’t want the children of another man to have the eyes of the girl that I won’t forget.” Honestly though, I really think only a teenager could write so poetically about a situationship. I’ve heard these songs so many times yet I never get tired of them. And seriously don’t even get me started on all the TikTok edits made to these songs…they’re literal works of art.
I hope this inspired at least one person to check out sombr’s music or to listen to the entire album if you’ve only heard a song or two. Trust me when I say it’s truly a no skip album; I just simply don’t have the time to write about every track on it!