After her well-deserved “Ceilings” hype, I noticed that Lizzy McAlpine is 100% an underrated artist and that too many people had never even heard of her. With her being one of my absolute favorite artists, I highly hoped that the power of having a Tik Tok trend with your song as the basis would propel her into the spotlight that she deserves. Unfortunately, despite some people heavily streaming “Ceilings” and perhaps taking some sort of look into the album that it belonged to, her 2022 release “Five Seconds Flat”, she still remains in the shadows in many aspects. SO, let me put you on!
If you like music that highlights heartbreak, pivotal points of being a teenage and essentially all the highs and lows that come with our hundreds of feelings, Lizzy is for you. Also attributing a ton of her songs to the themes of grief associated with the loss of her father in 2020, it is wonderful music for those who are mourning. Similar to artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams, and Leith Ross, Lizzy close to tops my holy trinity of sad girl alternative.
Lizzy’s discography displays a serious talent in her masterful lyricism, using symbolism to craft songs of such a beautiful nature. I cannot describe the number of times I have been simply in awe of a line that she wrote, having to literally pause the song so I could write it down, or try and relive hearing it for the first time again. I put her lyrical skill close to that of Taylor Swift, a masterful lyricist (especially like that of “Folklore” and “Evermore”).
Having 3 albums, Lizzy is not an artist who is difficult to begin listening to. Beginning her career in 2020 with her debut album “Give Me a Minute”, followed by her 2021 “When the World Stopped Moving”, and then her most recent and previously mentioned 2022 “Five Seconds Flat”, she displays an ability to write that almost never ceases. Three albums back to back in year of release, is an impressive feat, especially when being part of a genre of music that revolves completely around the ability to write lyrically impressive songs.
To make diving into her artistry a little bit easier, here is a list of a few of my favorite songs from each album that I would recommend to anyone (and often do):
“Give Me a Minute” – “Nothing / Sad N Stuff”, “Apple Pie”, “Headstones and Land Mines”, and maybe one you may already know from Tik Tok, “Pancakes for Dinner”.
“When the World Stopped Moving” – “Angelina”, “Stupid”, “I Don’t Know You At All”, and “Let Light Be Light”.
“Five Seconds Flat” – “All My Ghosts”, “Nobody Likes A Secret”, “Chemtrails”, “Firearm”, and “Reckless Driving”.
If I could recommend every single one of her songs at once without it being completely overwhelming to everyone, I absolutely would.
Hopefully, I influenced you a little bit to at least give her music a try. Listen to one of the songs I love, or hit that shuffle button on her discography and get surprised by the utter talent that is Lizzy McAlpine.