A hard truth in life is that it’s easier to please others than it is to be pleased by others. For young women who are forced to navigate the reality this creates, it can become easy to reconfigure themselves into small, meek, timid versions of who they really are — versions that are more palatable to men, other women, and society in general.
This is a struggle that Mollie Elizabeth, a 23-year-old up-and-coming singer, understands perfectly.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a press conference for Mollie, where she discussed the release of her latest EP, a flamboyant, acerbic shot of wit titled People Pleaser. The singer talked about how creating music and accompanying media for the project allowed her to realize her own fundamental truth: her identity and sense of self shouldn’t lie in making others happy. “I’m finding a lot of self-confidence — and a little bit of a hint of wanting revenge,” she said.
With People Pleaser, Mollie proves that the only way to overcome your trauma is to confront it — sometimes in unconventional ways.
“I found that if I put a more rose-colored lens on it, it was a way to process what I was feeling and what I had been through, and at the same time take the weight off of it,” she explained.
Throughout the EP and its accompanying music videos, Mollie strikes a balance between whimsy and horror. In her world, beautiful things are often twisted — or enhanced — by strange and unusual elements, which makes them all the more memorable. This mentality is reflected by the media that Mollie takes inspiration from. She cites Ari Aster’s Midsommar as an influential favorite. “It’s very light and colorful and beautiful, but these very horrific things are happening. I love juxtaposition,” she said.
Many of the visual elements of the EP’s media are inspired by classic Disney films, such as the dreamily animated Alice in Wonderland, a surreal childhood staple for Mollie.
With its distinctive, cabaret-inspired melodies, People Pleaser is an EP that women who feel disconnected from their own desires and agency should give a listen. “Kiss The Ring” is sung from the perspective of a woman who is completely fed up with living her life for others. The song serves as a warning to people, particularly men, who might try to take advantage of the singer or undermine her worth.
The TikTok-viral “Run Rabbit,” is frequently associated with trailblazing, morally gray female protagonists in popular media. The song is an anthem for any woman facing the difficult decision to reclaim her autonomy and independence, even if doing so means offending those who have been complicit in suppressing her self-expression.
There’s one last quote from this press conference that I found particularly impactful. Speaking about “Kiss the Ring,” Mollie said, “It’s very, ‘Please me; I deserve to be pleased.’”
In my opinion, this is a mantra that every woman should adopt. Armed with the belief that we are entitled to respect and satisfaction, we can pluck up the courage to push patriarchal boundaries and advocate for ourselves in a world that often tells women to do otherwise.