favourite daughter Earns ‘bragger’s rights’ With Humorous And Heartfelt EP
Photos by Vendy Palkovičová
Life is all about the lessons you learn, and no one knows that better than favourite daughter. On her new EP, bragger’s rights, she delivers a sonically-focused collection of songs that share the good, the bad, and the just plain funny parts of getting older.
This is favourite daughter (a.k.a Lauren Hibberd)’s first EP under her new artist name, and she couldn’t have created a better re-introduction project. bragger’s rights’s songs feel ripped from the soundtrack of your favorite early-2000s movie; the title track wouldn’t sound out of place playing in an episode of “Gilmore Girls.” There’s a sense of euphoria present that makes listening to the EP feel like running down the street — by yourself, or with a friend by your side.
While the production is a stunning blend of throwback nostalgia and updated sounds, the lyrics are honest and immersive, full of details that make the listener feel like they’re watching the stories shared unfold before them.
favourite daughter swings between heartbreak and humor with ease. “don’t drink again” is a bittersweet recall of a relationship that was wonderful — right up until it wasn’t — as the artist begs, “I love you, but please don’t fall off of the wagon.” Ballad “pink bathwater” is another big emotional moment, an anthem for any young women who always thought everyone else was having way more fun than they were.
These songs showcase the singer’s skills at sharing her heartbreak, but it’s her sense of humor that really makes its mark on the EP. Title track “bragger’s rights” is all about staking your claim (“I could say something bratty like ‘I had him first”) — and then realizing, “If referencing you now means that you’re still winning, then I’m a loser.”
“sick joke” is another song that turns heartbreak into something you just have to laugh at. With production that sounds like The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” favourite daughter rolls her eyes at the “sick joke” that was her relationship with a cruel lover, finally ending in a shrug — “Before you know it // it’s just you and your dog, you’re still looking for love.”
“‘I've written a lot of songs in my life so far, but these are my favourites,” favourite daughter shared in a statement about the project. “bragger's rights is an honest synopsis of ending up somewhere you never thought you'd be — which can feel equal parts awful and hilarious. I have a genuine fear of my phone getting stolen and them reading my notes app, this EP is basically me saving them the trouble.”
bragger’s rights is a kaleidoscope of all the best and worst parts of getting to know yourself as you get older, and a great beginning for this new phase of favourite daughter’s musicality.
Listen to bragger's rights below:
