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Photo: Carolyn Knapp

Armed with her ukulele and an impeccable knack for creating detailed worlds with her poignant lyricism, indie pop songstress Lyn Lapid has finally released her latest EP to love in the 21st century. Drawing inspiration from Gen Z romantic comedies like To All The Boys I've Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty, the EP follows Lapid through a relationship, falling in and out of love for the first time. Evocative of this spirit, Lapid composes a soundtrack to life and love in the modern age, taking us by the hand through the naive butterflies of a first meeting to all the mess that follows. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist adds bombast and range to alternative pop, drawing equally on a classical background and a passion for film scores.

"The EP revolves around one cohesive story," she reveals. "It's about a 'situationship' between a boy and a girl. I take the perspective of the girl. It's a commentary on dating in my generation with 'situationships,' hookup culture, and people not wanting to commit. I personally don't like to be involved in it, but the girl in the story is sucked into it. Nowadays, you find so many 'no label' relationships. It's complicated. There's truth behind the project though."

to love in the 21st century opens with the aptly-titled "intro," an instrumental that plays out like the opening credits score of a movie. Featuring the sound of birds chirping, intensifying string sections, twinkling synths, and dreamy vocal harmonies, it sets the tone and prepares the listener for the beautifully crafted record. We're then led into the nostalgia of "poster boy," a previously released single that showcases Lapid's eloquent songwriting, uplifting energy, and lovelorn emotion. On the track, she experiences a love-at-first-sight moment, seeing a handsome man at the corner store and immediately imagining a life together despite knowing literally nothing about them.

"do u really?" sees Lyn paired with beloved pop and R&B singer Ruth B. for a bouncy, catchy, and easygoing tune perfect for late-night drives and moody walks in the rain. Opening with the words "Do you really wanna fall in love," the song's intro is its first chorus, ringing out with a Lapid solo backed by wistful vibraphone and periodically accompanied by a simple yet effective stack of vocals. As she constantly asks the listener whether they "really want to fall in love," Lapid quickly builds up the lyrical thread throughout the song. Her potentially enchanting proposition of choosing deep love over a shallow hookup ends up falling somewhat flat, though, with a verse that combines seemingly disconnected lines like "Wonder if we let this love grow / I won't have it in me just to let go." 

The sunny tune "pick your brain" and the reflective ballad "keep me around" lead up to the record's shining jewel of a title track, "tlit21c." With soft ukulele plucks and Lapid's divine vocals leading the way, the short, heartbreaking sonnet details her conflicting emotions in an uncertain, undefined relationship. Over delicate ukulele strums and soothing, watery synths, she sings, "Nobody told me how lonely it feels / To be young enough / 21st century, " wishing she could "get with the times," but admitting she's "not caught up to love in the / 21st century."

Other notable tracks include the melancholic "like you want me to," where Lapid explains to her lover that she cannot survive in their relationship, followed by a breakup shortly after. The record's cinematic focus track, "the alternative," takes a sonically darker approach with earthy production notes woven into her signature breezy piano riffs and warm vocals. Lapid balances certain situations' risks and benefits while repeatedly mentioning the balance between solitude and companionship. In the R&B-infused "cross ur mind," Lapid expresses a melancholy post-breakup curiosity in the story, wondering if her ex-partner has completely moved on and erased her from his memory.

The EP's finale, "ok with it," returns the record to a lighter space of growth, examining the impact of a mutual breakup and the singer's initial struggles during the split and eventual acceptance. With sun-soaked ukulele riffs and sun-soaked percussion, she realizes she no longer thinks as much about her ex or wonders who he's been talking to and that the "Finish line's imminent / And inevitably you'll surely forget me." In the chorus, she admits that despite being sad now, she's "ok with it" and that by next summer, she'll be moved on, and they will have new lovers and continue their lives.

Listen to to love in the 21st century below: