Maggie Lindemann has been a very fun artist to watch over the last couple of years. Her progression has been interesting to watch. When she first popped onto the music scene, she blew she was making common sounding Synth-Pop music. She had a song named ‘Pretty Girl’ get remixed by the EDM group Cheat Codes go viral, which catapulted her into the spotlight at a young age(‘Pretty Girl’ is still very popular among the EDM world and it is in many artists’ concert setlists to this day). Ever since she originally got popular, Maggie Lindemann has been slowly transitioning away from traditional Synth-Pop music, leaning more into the Rock world. Ever since her 2018 single ‘Would I,’ all of her music has gotten progressively more Rock n’ Roll and progressively less Pop. This is especially true of all of the singles that have been released in anticipation for her new EP Paranoia. All of these singles have taken on various forms of Rock music, from a grungey/alternative sound to Punk to Metal. Through these singles, Maggie has proved how diverse she can be as an artist and that she can excel at any kind of music she wants to. With that being said, here is how I feel about Maggie Lindemann’s new EP Paranoia. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about this project, and let me know in the comments what your favorite songs are from this EP as well.
Got me feeling paralyzed. I can’t sleep without the lights. A chill is running down my spine. Staring out the window, a knife under my pillow. But it’s all inside my mind… – ‘Knife Under My Pillow’
Paranoia starts with the fast-paced Pop-Punk banger ‘Knife Under My Pillow.’ With how popular Pop-Punk music started to become towards the end of 2020, I am surprised this song did not gain more traction when it was released as a single. It is a bit harder and darker than some of the other Pop-Punk music that did become popular last year, so many that is why. This song is about Maggie Lindemann going through a crazy stage of paranoia while living in her old house. Sometimes, when she was home alone, she felt like there was someone in the house with her, leading her to literally sleep with a knife under her pillow to protect herself. ‘Knife Under My Pillow’ is a banger and it is a good way to start this EP, as it only gets harder and more intense from here. The next track, ‘GASLIGHT!,’ features Siiickbrain, who turns the energy dial up to 1000%. This track has a very intense Screamo-Trap sound. It reminds me a lot of artists like Poppy or Corpse. ‘GASLIGHT!’ is a super interesting song to listen to because of the juxtaposition created between Maggie Lindemann’s and Siiickbrain’s vocals. Maggie has a soft and sweet vocal tone that makes the listener feel safe, and Siiickbrain has a gruff and scary screeching Screamo voice that is so abrasive it will send tingles down your spine. This is easily one of the weirdest and most unique songs I have heard in a while, and I appreciate the creativity by Maggie Lindemann and Siiickbrain on this song. ‘Scissorhands’ is a song that has a different kind of Retro-Rock feeling to it. This song reminds me of some of the Metal music that became popular in the mid-2000s. If I were to compare ‘Scissorhands’ to some of the bands from this era, I would say it sounds a lot like Seether or Flyleaf or Skillet. People who are fans of this sound will definitely like this song. On ‘Scissorhands,’ Maggie is singing about how she hurts everyone that gets close to her. She wants to stay to herself and keep her distance from everyone else because she knows it will not be good for her or the other person if they start to form a connection. Following this, we get ‘Crash and Burn,’ which has probably become my favorite song from this project. This song reminds me so much of the Punk Rock music that I used to listen to growing up. If you are into bands like Yellowcard, New Found Glory, or Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, ‘Crash and Burn’ will bring you to a nostalgic place. I love Maggie’s vocals song on this track because the female voice sounds so good on this kind of Punk Rock music(there is a reason that Paramore is so popular to this day). On ‘Crash and Burn,’ Maggie is talking about a former friendship of hers falling to pieces. Instead of talking it out with this person, Maggie and her friend let the problem simmer to a point where it boiled over, making them no longer want anything to do with each other. ‘Crash and Burn’ is the perfect song for people who love angsty 2000s style Punk music.
Out of all of the songs on this project, ‘Loner’ definitely has the coolest progression and build up. It starts with a bit of an Emo-Trap feeling to it, and as it goes on it turns into a full-fledged 2000s Post-Grunge track. I think that this progression is very cool and interesting, and it shows that Maggie can be innovative in her music. The guitar riff from this song is super addicting; it draws me in and makes me want to listen over and over again. On ‘Loner,’ Maggie is talking about how she likes doing her own thing. She does not want or need any validation for hanging out by herself and feeling the way she feels. I feel like the lyrics of this song are so relatable, and I feel like a lot of people identify with Maggie’s lyrics on this song. The next track, ‘Love Songs,’ slows the energy way down. It is by far the softest song up until this point; it is almost by far the warmest song on this project so far. ‘Love Songs’ is an acoustic Rock track that is super sweet and nice to listen to. ‘Love Songs’ is is quite literally a love song. This track is obviously written by Maggie to her boyfriend. The lyricism is so sweet and raw; I bet Maggie’s fans online appreciate how much she is letting them into this side of her mind. Following this, we have ‘Different,’ which is another song that has an early 2000s Post-Grunge and Alt-Metal sound to it. It is a bit softer than the songs on this record that also have a Post-Grunge sound to them. Instead of sounding like Flyleaf or Breaking Benjamin, this song reminds me more of Three Doors Down or Three Days Grace. On ‘Different,’ Maggie is singing about not being happy with who she is, and how she sometimes wants to change so she can be happier. I feel like the lyrics in this song are especially hit close to home for a lot of people; Maggie is so good at writing lyrics that are very easy for her listeners to connect to. Paranoia rounds out with the song ‘It’s Not Your Fault.’ This track is another one that has an early 2000s Alt-Metal and Post-Grunge feeling to it. Considering how about half of the songs do contain some version of this sound, I would say it is safe to assume Maggie likes and admires this kind of music. I would say that this song once again reminds me of bands like Flyleaf or Seether. On ‘It’s Not Your Fault,’ Maggie is pushing away a former significant other. She is blaming herself for the two of them drifting apart but is making sure she asserts the fact that it just will not work out between the two of them anymore. ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ is ultimately a very good version of a hard rock break up song.
I have enjoyed watching Maggie Lindemann transform herself as an artist and find her sound over the last couple of years. It has been refreshing to watch someone who started out making mainstream Synth-Pop branch out and try something so different from the music she came into the industry making. Paranoia is a culmination of all the sounds and styles of music Maggie grew up loving herself. It incorporates all sorts of styles of early to mid-2000s era Rock music and puts a modern twist on these sounds to make them stand out in 2021. As Maggie Lindemann continues to hone her sound and perfect the kind of music she wants to make, she can eventually transform into the Rock princess that her generation needs. Paranoia is a big step in this direction, and I will definitely be bumping quite a few songs from this project for quite a while.
EAST SIDE VIBES 