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Dear Amelia is the debut studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Renforshort. It was released by Interscope Records on July 8, 2022.

Background

Since Renforshort was a child, she wanted to be a singer. When she was in ninth or tenth grade, she would often attend open mic nights with her friend. However, some nights she had to perform solo. When she performed solo, she would sing and play the guitar onstage at the same time, making her realize she could become a performer. When she was 13, she began posting covers of songs to YouTube. In 2016, she met the producer Jeff Hazin, who has become a frequent collaborator since. She released her debut extended play Teenage Angst during 2020, via Interscope Records, which was followed by Off Saint Dominique in 2021. She has also worked with Mike Shinoda and Travis Barker, went on tour with Yungblud, and contributed to the soundtrack of the 2020 Disney+ film Clouds.

Writing

When writing Dear Amelia, Renforshort prioritized on writing songs that were sincere and resonated with young women. When she was growing up, she believed that the latter was lacking, and told NME "This album is the honesty I needed to hear growing up as a young woman". Writing songs makes her more honest as a person and insists that her music is honest.

Dear Amelia is written about the album's titular character, Amelia. Renforshort described Amelia as "a lot of people" and "the personification of parts of brain." Amelia is also based on people in her life that have committed suicide, and the inspiration behind the character was "wanting to open up but not knowing how". Renforshort has further stated: "You can make Amelia anyone". She has also explained that the album "flows like a story". On Renforshort's social media, there were a collection of letters addressed to Amelia, who "receives regular and somewhat cryptic updates on troubles and triumphs."

Composition

Overview

Dear Amelia is primarily a pop rock and alt-pop album, and has also been described as hyperpop, alternative rock, and emo pop. The album explores themes of toxic relationships, mental illness, and suicide. The album is also written about problems with identity, mental health, and unhealthy relationships; challenges frequently faced by young women. Oshen Douglas-McCormick from Clash believed the album "takes a dive into brain" and reads like a "lovesick diary in a tearjerker romance movie". He further wrote the album tells a story about the ups and downs of love and "self image in a time when youth has become a painfully self-aware experience." Neive McCarthy of Dork called the album a love letter to the complexity of feelings and said that Renforshort "navigates growing up in all its different hues."

With the songs "I Miss Myself", "Hate the Way You Love Me", and "I Thot You Were Cool", the story of Dear Amelia begins as "starting off light" and builds up to the song "Julian, King of Manhattan". Renforshort described the song as "the halfway point where the story starts falling over." The latter part of the album's storyline takes a darker turn, where the songs' subject matters go from "surface-level relationship troubles" to "I just want somebody to tell me that I'm OK because I don’t know if I am. I don't know anything about myself anymore", according to Renforshort. The album closes with Amelia "crack under it all and disappear."

Songs

The opening track of Dear Amelia is "I Miss Myself", which contains simple guitar strumming, a soft piano, and emotional vocals. With lyrics compared to Avril Lavigne, the song is about Renforshort losing herself in a messy relationship. "Made for You" is a soft pop and alt-pop track about changing who you are to match someone else's standards. Greta Brereton of NME wrote that while it is "filled with bright melodies and sweet vocals" and a "bubbly track" on the surface, "the lyrics convey a darker story". The guitar riffs in "Moshpit" were compared to that of Beabadoobee, and is a "sunny, mellow cut" according to The Line of Best Fit's Ims Taylor. The alt-pop track is about being treated poorly in a bad relationship and wanting to leave, but also not wanting to hurt the other person's feelings. The pop-rock "Hate the Way You Love Me" is about a "boyfriend who is nice to everyone but her" according to DIY's Cordelia Lam. "We'll Make This OK" is a collaboration with Barker and blends guitar riffs with "video game synths" according to Taylor. The track reflects on the feelings of a breakup. The alt-pop "I Thot You Were Cool" has an energy that is more intense.

"Don't Come Back" is an emo pop song that has a "sprawling backdrop and gorgeous, ethereal melodies" and was compared to the 1975 and Muna by Taylor. She also called it the "biggest moment" on the album, "emphasising the best bits of both introverted songwriting and stratospheric delivery." The sad and slow ballad "Let You Down" features Jake Bugg and has lyrics that were compared to Olivia Rodrigo by Taylor.

References

1. ^ Foulkes, Tilly (July 4, 2022). "Renforshort: "This album is the honesty I needed to hear growing up as a young woman"". NME. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
2. ^ Vargas, Samantha (July 5, 2022). "renforshort is prioritizing mental health more than ever on Dear Amelia". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
3. Bliss, Karen (March 20, 2020). "renforshort explodes onto the scene". SOCAN Magazine. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
4. Hills, Katy (September 9, 2020). "renforshort: raw pop-rock anthems dripping with teenage angst". NME. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
5. Shutler, Ali (June 4, 2021). "Renforshort – 'Off Saint Dominique' EP: pop-rock riser is unafraid to speak her mind". NME. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
6. ^ Lam, Cordelia (July 28, 2022). "renforshort: "It's your duty to be honest"". DIY. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
7. ^ Douglas-McCormick, Oshen (July 11, 2022). "Renforshort - Dear Amelia". Clash. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
8. ^ Taylor, Ims (July 8, 2022). "renforshort - dear amelia review". DIY. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
9. ^ Raza-Sheikh, Zoya (July 8, 2022). "renforshort unveils "thrillingly honest" debut album dear amelia". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
10. ^ Taylor, Ims (July 7, 2022). "renforshort gently tells it all on the gorgeous, confessional tale of dear amelia". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
11. McCarthy, Neive (July 13, 2022). "renforshort – dear amelia". Dork. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
12. "."renforshort unveils new track 'made for you'". DIY. March 31, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
13. Brereton, Greta (April 4, 2022). "Renforshort shares new single 'Made For You'". NME. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
14. Lavin, Will (January 28, 2022). "Listen to Renforshort's explosive new single, 'Moshpit'". NME. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
15. Zemler, Emily (May 12, 2022). "Travis Barker Joins Renforshort on Single 'We'll Make This OK'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2024.

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