UMI Somehow Makes Going Back to "High School" Sound Amazing

image

Depending on who you ask, letterman jacket wearing or not, high school was either the best of times or it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens references aside, lo-fi R&B songstress UMI has shared a new single that has us thinking it would not be the worst thing in the world to still be running from cops at a crowded house party.

"High School" sees the Los Angeles by way of Seattle artist reminiscing over infectious, bubbling production. More than just a weird flex on the glory days, UMI paints  an all-too-familiar picture of what it's really like to be in high school. In "High School," the biggest highlights and embarrassments lie not in grandiose expectations typically associated with high school but in going to Denny's after school and having your parents drive you to dates. The nostalgic portrayal is perfectly at home alongside UMI's wistful vocals that hint at lost love, in spite of not evening know what love was at the time.

The breezy new single is accompanied by a music video, which, as any proper representation of high school must depict, primarily takes place at a high school house party. Directed by Eddie Mandell and Not Cade, "High School" takes UMI back to the days of being an awkward underclassman. From UMI singing into her hairbrush and being goaded into talking to her crush, the music video is a pure delight. But it's not the cops breaking up the party before it gets to the good part that rings the truest of "High School." It is its final comical line, "Bruh, we were just in high school."

Watch the video for "High School" below:  

Related Articles

Haiden Henderson Finds Beauty In Reinvention on Debut Album ‘bleach’

Haiden Henderson Finds Beauty In Reinvention on Debut Album ‘bleach’

November 11, 2026 Henderson may still be figuring out who he is when the spotlight fades, but here, he’s making every second of the performance count.
Author: Alessandra Rincon
pop
Start Your Day With Olivia Lunny's Sonic Caffeine, "Breakfast" [Q&A]

Start Your Day With Olivia Lunny's Sonic Caffeine, "Breakfast" [Q&A]

November 10, 2026 Waking up is never easy, but it's also never sounded this good, as Olivia Lunny delivers a caffeinated sonic wakeup in "breakfast."
Author: DJ Connor
pop
Reinventing Yourself 101: A Masterclass from Mai Anna and her ‘Baby Blue’ EP

Reinventing Yourself 101: A Masterclass from Mai Anna and her ‘Baby Blue’ EP

November 6, 2026 So many songwriters capture a single moment or time in a song, but Mai Anna tries something even bolder by showing us how her songs can change over time across languages and with a new perspective.
Author: Matt Keenan
R&B
EP