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Photo by Kyle Berger

There’s a formula for making a great pop song. There are tons of subgenres of what a popstar can be and an unlimited amount of ways to brand yourself as a new artist. What Audrey Hobert has done with her newfound music career charts a new path, one that has been achieved purely by being one of a kind. From starting her career in a Nickelodeon writers room to writing The Secret of Us with longtime friend Gracie Abrams, Audrey’s journey has been anything but average. Stumbling into songwriting was not the original plan, but lucky for us, it stuck. 

Executive produced by Audrey’s partner in crime Ricky Gourmet, Who’s the Clown explores every facet of her girlhood, personhood and every awkward moment in between. Coining her own specific songwriting style, each song feels unreplicable with witty storytelling and overstimulating lyrical delivery. There’s a clear sonic world, one that pulls from the likes of early 2000’s coming of age movie soundtracks and satisfyingly classic pop production. The visual language of Audrey’s debut album is vibrant, toeing the line between hyper-realistic and in-your-face imaginative. Not to mention, completely self-directed. After a run of sold-out live debuts in New York, Los Angeles, and London, Audrey’s passionate fanbase is only getting bigger with each new look into her artistic vision. The new album gives fans 9 new tracks and the self-directed music video for the new single “Thirst Trap.” 

Audrey shares that the backstory behind Who’s the Clown comes from every aspect of her life up until this point, which sounds so complex but actually stems from life’s most simple moments. She says, “I’ve sat with the girl who no one liked at lunch. I’ve had a crush on the guy with the rolly backpack because no one else did. I’ve looked out the window in the car and thought of the music video. I’ve read the book and seen the movie and heard the song. I’ve felt like the most special person in the dingiest corner of the background. Last summer, I sat at my desk in my room, and I wrote ‘til I was blue in the face. I’m excited for people to hear my work.”

Who’s the Clown starts with a song whose title is sure to catch your attention. “I like to touch people” is the ultimate people pleaser anthem. Set to a picture perfect coming of age instrumental, Audrey sings about her innate desire to connect with people and make them feel seen in return for her own validation. It sets the tone for how this record rejects typical songwriting structure, while also following a classic pop formula that, together, delivers something uniquely Audrey. 

The next track is “Sue me”, the debut single that fully introduced the world to Audrey’s singular perspective and instantly connected with the right audience. What follows is what could easily be Audrey’s next big hit, the pop smash that is “Drive.” It’s a sonic switch, smooth and dark in a way that contrasts gorgeously with Audrey’s signature delivery. Made clearly with the intention of being the ideal driving song, its slightly more electronic production shows the range of Audrey’s artistry and effortless sense for what makes pop music work. After “Drive” comes two previously released singles, “Wet Hair” and “Bowling Alley”, that are perfect snapshots of Audrey’s sense of humor, one that propels her storytelling forward and drops you into a specific situation that feels all too familiar. From here on out, the rest of the tracks are completely uncharted territory. 

Audrey’s new single “Thirst Trap” uses hyper-relatability in the most captivating way. Her sped up delivery makes you cling to every word as she tells the story not just through words, but through details like inflection and comedic timing. “Thirst Trap” is a pop anthem about obsessive crushes and how we spend our time performing for them online and in our own imagination, and even trying to see through their eyes. What really stands out about this track is the delicious saxophone outro, adding another layer to Audrey’s overall musicality and taste. Its self-directed music video is the perfect use of kitschy transitions, sets, and visuals that are both humorous and gorgeously executed. It’s both colorful and muted, meeting in the Audrey-esque intersection of intense obsession and not caring at all. 

In “Chateau,” Audrey delivers a satisfying slight at celebrity culture. Over dreamy production, she sings candidly about feeling out of place at parties people would die to attend. It’s a facade breaking pop confession, a complete popstar moment straight out of a classic teen movie montage. The cinematic theme continues in “Sex and the city”, a pop ballad about living through a romanticized lens. Its melancholy production is dramatic as Audrey delivers one tongue-in-cheek line after another in this completely sincere admission of life feeling less important than you envisioned. “Shooting star” is the following track, a synth heavy dance moment that reminds herself and her friends to stop romanticizing every boy as “the one.” It’s an ode to being young, wanting to feel desired, and embracing delusion, with a lyric that sums up what makes Audrey so special as she sings, “It's just who I am and they can't get enough.” 

“Don’t go back to his ass” is an album highlight. What serves as a campfire song for the girls who need to be reminded they deserve better also showcases one of Audrey’s strongest vocal performances to date. It’s silly, but serious, which can be used to describe a lot of what Audrey has to share with the class. Quite possibly the most sincere track on Who’s the Clown is track 11, named after the iconic Friends character, “Phoebe” Buffay. This track explores the dichotomy of Audrey being told she’s a star, but finding that it doesn’t erase feelings of insecurity in the lonely moments. “Phoebe” is about faking confidence until you’re living it. It’s a messy, honest self-acceptance anthem that hasn’t been done in quite this way before. The album ends with “Silver Jubilee”, which can only be described as a party girl anthem from the anti-party girl. With production that sounds nostalgic and crisp, this closing track is full of bliss and pure passion for being 25 with your best girlfriends. It’s the perfect way to ride out an album that highlights Audrey’s messiest, most vulnerable moments, by dancing it away into oblivion. 

Audrey Hobert is the friend on your shoulder validating you through your most awkward, but human moments. Moments that may feel excruciating while you live them but clearly make for the best stories, the ones that tell us so much about who we are and how it can just be so silly being a human. Audrey seems to be constantly romanticizing and watching life through a creative lens, which adds to her endless relatability. Who’s the Clown feels like it’s always existed inside of Audrey’s mind and just needed a way to be coerced out and we can’t wait to learn every lyric.