This young indie-pop star named after Timothée Chalamet’s character in the film "Call Me By Your Name", has just released her second EP. Underrated Canadian singer/songwriter ELIO demonstrated growth through some amazing tracks on new project "Can You Hear Me Now?"
I stumbled across the song “Body Language,” from her first EP "u and me", but really found out about ELIO through the “Friends Are Listening To,” section of Apple Music this past summer. I’ve been a fan of all of her music ever since.
“Jackie Onassiss,” and “hurts 2 hate somebody,” were both released as singles prior to the EP’s arrival, giving fans a great taste of what to look forward to .
The indie-pop sound accompanied with ELIO’s soothing vocals make for super chill and great vibes for the new year. Discussing topics from love and friendship to finding yourself, each track is filled with lyrics that listeners of any age can relate to.
On hit “CHARGER,” ELIO plays with the much relatable happening of leaving your iPhone charger somewhere. While the idea is playful, it can also be an analogy for not wanting to go back to a relationship or see an ex for another reason because it will make the situation harder.
“Do I even need it that bad? / And I wanna come back / ‘Cause I left my charger / I don’t wanna go back / It’ll make it harder.”
The mini-album gives me Taylor Swift x Clairo vibes, as ELIO adds her own alternative special touch to bedroom pop.
Fourth track “Come Round,” shows versatility with a unique, pitched-up, childlike sound that brings an interesting mood.
“When U Saw Love,” was written on the same day as the previous track, and talks about accepting yourself and others. “I sent it to Charli XCX--she’s on my management team--and she was like, ‘We need a better chorus’,” ELIO stated to Apple Music. After sitting on it for a while and having a hard time figuring it out, she wrote the final version super quickly.
When searching for the singer on Instagram, I was surprised to find she only has less than 6000 followers.
The 6th track is actually titled ELIO’s Instagram name “@elioirl.” She talks about meshing together her career and her connections, learning how to love being in the moment.
“I miss you so much, I wanna die / Can you call me? / We’re talking just to waste time / I don’t wanna say goodbye / When you get this, can you ring me back? / Can you hear me now? / Call me when you’re done with that / Can you hear me now? / As we disconnect on FaceTime, in real life.”
The final track “Fabric,” is honestly my favorite though. With it’s soft vocals, acoustic sound, and relatable lyrics, it is the perfect raw and heartfelt song to remind you to remember to always come back to yourself.
“I’m always tryna please another / But always get it wrong and I end up getting hurt / Planned my life by trying to succeed / But never ended up with what I really need / I wish that I could write and hide away / Trapped in my head and I’m never safe.”
This entire project is a motivator to do what you love and do it shamelessly, creating love along the way. This track showed amazing growth in the 23-year-old and even more potential for future success.
You should definitely check out ELIO’s music and help contribute to my hopes that she gets much deserved wide recognition in the future.
I give this release 4.5 out of 5 Swoops.
