carolesdaughter's “nobody’s favorite person, not even my own” Is a Daring and Raw Self-Portrait

carolesdaughter, the musical project of Thea Taylor, is a force to be reckoned with. Each new track is another brick laid in the path to Taylor’s dark hyperpop queendom and the recent single, “nobody’s favorite person, not even my own,” is a daring triumph.

carolesdaughter has definitely dipped her toe in experimental, dark production before, but “nobody’s favorite person, even my own” is a headfirst dive into the deep w=end. The track lives at the intersection of consonance and dissonance, where every bit of distortion is balanced out by delicacy. Overdriven synths mark out the main hooks of the song, crackling along the edges with brash fuzziness. Then, just behind this bold centerpiece, Taylor plucks out a faint keyboard countermelody, light and clean in the background.

The forwardness of the main production elements allows for subtler background decorating; the understatement of which becomes an interesting textural piece. carolesdaughter has never intended to do things the expected way, and this is just another example of the beauty in that rebellion. "'Nobody’s Favorite Person' is about finding comfort within yourself even when others are around," shares carolesdaughter. "The only thing you own in life is your body and your soul and no person is worth losing that for.”

Furthering that point is the surprise outro; with a jarring halt in momentum, carolesdaughter cuts the hyperpop percussion and thick reverb, replacing them with one single, raw guitar. The chorus is repeated, but with this alien soundscape, we’re really able to hear the lyrics, “Got too cautious to speak / And that ain’t even like me / Clean my conscience with bleach...,” she faintly cries out. All of a sudden, the topic of insecurity and self is cast in a new light as we’re invited to look carolesdaughter in the eye through this outro. This is the heart of carolesdaughter: raw, authentic emotion that lets itself crackle at the edges to spotlight the genuineness lilting throughout.

Watch the “nobody’s favorite person, not even my own” lyric video below: