Following the release of I Don’t Care, singer/songwriter Katherine Li tacks on two more tracks for the release of her heartbreak EP Crush(ed).
Li’s EP encapsulates the awkwardness of navigating a relationship that never was. The daydreams, the fantasies, and the subsequent heartbreak that comes along with a one-sided relationship you can’t let go of.
Her songs are an anomaly, able to transport you to the innocence of laying on your bed, staring at the ceiling, and wallowing in your heartache or blasting it on full volume in your car while you scream the lyrics at the top of your lungs. Those all too familiar feelings are packaged into 16 minutes and 46 seconds of stripped-down emotion. It makes you sad and angry and excited at the same time.
Li reminds us of what it's like to be a person in love.
Happening Again is the beginning. You get those butterflies and that familiar feeling- you’re starting to fall again, and no matter how much time passes you can’t get over it. It is an exciting and hopeful track. You know that you shouldn’t be feeling this way but you don’t care.
Li slows it down for We Didn’t Even Date and Never Had A Chance. With lyrics like “Get attached and then still call it love” and “Why am I still here and waiting for us to happen” you can relate that song to unrequited love, or love that had the potential to be great, but you are realizing it is a lost cause.
I Don’t Care captures that annoying feeling when all your friends are falling in love around you. Li repeats “I don’t care, I don't care, I couldn't care less…” as if trying to convince herself that it doesn’t bother her- that she’s happy where she is whereas Wish You The Worst is quite literally seeking revenge for the betrayal of trust in a relationship.
We are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of songwriters...
However, Miss Me Too is reclaiming your energy. It is the we-just-broke-up-and-you-can’t-do-better-if-you-tried but also I-would-go-back-to-you-if-you-asked anthem. (We’ve all been there).
We are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of songwriters that are able to capture the nuances of human emotion. Small actions can cause big feelings- and what may be perceived as insignificant moments in one’s life, are actually what connect us all.
The beauty of Crush(ed) is that whether you are experiencing love for the first time, or you are a veteran, there is a song that puts those big feelings into words.
There is something precious about being reminded of the fact that heartbreak doesn’t change with age. Li reminds us of what it is like to be a person in love.
Crush(ed) by Katherine Li is out now.