READ: Meet ROLE MODEL, The Painfully Relatable Artist With A DIY Feel

ROLE MODEL, our favorite lo-fi pop minimalist, just dove further into all those bedroom feels and peculiar pillow talk with his latest single “hello!.” Swiftly becoming a staple of a genre so unique to the late 2010s, ROLE MODEL is making a name for himself as a beacon of relatability who is proudly trading fabrication for authenticity.

Though “hello!” is no exception to ROLE MODEL’s commitment to creating art that reflects emotions we all grapple with, “hello!” rests in a more playful nook on the musical spectrum. Ushering the listener in with a band of horns and bouncing piano chords, the production approaches the quirky nature of early Elton John. This shift in sound is both intriguing and bewitching, beckoning you to lean in a little closer.  

The opening line, “You don’t know why I’m upset, neither do I / I’m fine if you let me be alone when I cry / I never really talk much, keep it inside / To find someone who cares is getting harder to find,” immediately catapults the listener into the at-times unreasonable and inexplicable whirlpool our emotions can become. Transitioning to the pre-chorus, ROLE MODEL muses over wanting to frolic in the sunlight but struggling to do so when at odds with paralyzing emotions. As he sings through the chorus in his incredibly distinguishable tone and style, ROLE MODEL expresses a yearning for connection and empathetic encounters.

As the second verse emerges, ROLE MODEL chronicles a different kind of connection. Lustful words we’ve all wished he’d utter to us instead (or is that just me?), “I like the way my bedsheets look on your body” turns into a different striking image, “Tripping off molly with your hand on my throat.” We soon learn that this type of affection only creates more distance for him. Raveled in feelings of self-deprecation, ROLE MODEL admits a further distance he has created himself, all the while singing that same lighthearted tune which paradoxically counters the sentiments expressed, an accurate representation of the innate irony of the human experience.  

Listen to “hello!” below:

Rumor has it that “hello!” is the second single off ROLE MODEL’s forthcoming sophomore EP, due later this fall. Stay on the lookout for more ROLE MODEL and be sure to catch him on the ‘Far From Perfect’ tour, kicking off in his hometown of Portland, Oregon!