Massachusetts-born Georgia Webster‘s life has changed completely over the last year when her song ‘Tell Your Mom’ became a viral hit on TikTok. That success led to Georgia signing with Sony Music Nashville, now she has released her debut EP ‘First Goodbye.’ Here, we review the EP, stream the project here.
Georgia Webster is one of the artists we’re most excited about in 2021. Since TikTok took her hit ‘Tell Your Mom’ viral, Webster has been further crafting her artistry to become an artist who already knows who she is and what she wants to create. That’s no small feat considering she’s only 17 years old, but that number is just proof of the weight of her music and the fact that this is just the starting block for Webster.
The EP kicks off with the acclaimed track ‘Tell Your Mom’ that is a propulsive and compelling track, as Georgia sings to an ex that she can’t get over him while his mom is still a part of her life. ‘Tell your mom to stop calling me / No disrespect, she’s the nicest lady / But she reminds me of you and lately / I’ve been holding myself up from falling / Please tell your mama to stop / calling, calling, calling.’ It’s a delightful track that is light without being fluffy. So too is following track ‘Push & Pull’ about having half a foot out of a relationship. ‘Am I going insane? / I don’t know why / I’m feeling this way / When you’re so nice to me / You’re so sweet / But when it’s just you and me together / I feel so distant.’ It’s tenderly and carefully done, as is the light-touch lap steel production in the background that is a magic stroke.
Webster is at her best in these sweetly nostalgic tracks that delve into the nuances of heartbreak – a more restrained and thoughtful Olivia Rodrigo – as she does on ‘First Goodbye’ that is a poignant display of heartache. ‘You were my first star-gazing in a pick-up truck / You were my first slow dance… You were my first love / And maybe tonight, you’ll my first goodbye.’ Indeed, the final track on the project, ‘Box of Memories’ is another melancholically yearning track. ‘I’ve got a box of memories under my bed / And when I take it out it messes with my head / But I do it anyways.’ The track perfectly displays the maturity of Webster as a songstress, a captivating ability to capture her own experience into something universal.
Still, Webster has a fierier side as she displays on ‘UGLY,’ a vindication of a boy who treated her badly. ‘Now all I see is an ugly boy staring back at me / Go ahead and take a bow / I’ll take your picture now.’ It’s a fun journey down the high road, in the same way as Taylor Swift’s hit ‘Mean’ – an anthemic and propulsive track that signifies a potential further direction for a longer project. Georgia Webster is a bright light on the scene and this EP is just the tipping point of that future.
