waterbaby Sways Through a Cocktail of Emotions and Sounds in 'Foam'
Photo: Nemo Hinders Sasaki
A black girl freeing herself through experimentation is inherently groundbreaking, and waterbaby is making comfortable room for herself in the lo-fi realm. Delivering wistful vocals and melancholic indie-pop on her latest EP Foam, we’re getting to know the singer through open veins and a raw lens.
Romantically dreary, Stockholm-based songstress waterbaby sounds nowhere near anyone else. Her name is rather fitting, as she’s as soluble as liquid, entrancing you with her ability to spiral in and out of different textures. As she dances through R&B and indie, lyrics stained with both hope and disdain, we can’t tell if we’re dizzy or entranced, or a cocktail of both.
“Airforce blur” introduces us to the project, an opaque track that reminisces on a love long gone. “911” is incredibly infectious, fitting perfectly onto every H&M playlist and somehow making police sirens a hook you can’t get nearly enough of. Moving along the tracklist, “Born too late” casts a vulnerable light on waterbaby, with lines like “I ignore the feelings so I never do the healing,” making beauty out of her bleeding and only deepening our sense of closeness with the songstress.
Gearing up for an EU fall tour, having Foam in the world marks a new beginning for waterbaby, signifying the before for a very promising after. “I’m so happy and proud to have this music out,” waterbaby shares. “It feels insane and I truly can’t find the words right now— I’m really overwhelmed. “
Listen to Foam below:
