Ivy Adara could well be Australia's answer to Lorde - she's definitely their answer to something, it's just a matter of time until we find out what.
At 23 years old, the singer/songwriter already embodies everything the pop genre is lusting after right now. Her voice is a little bitHalsey, a little bit Sia, her musical style is somewhere between Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish and her songwriting is often Lorde-esque.
Adara first came into the public eye in 2016 when she appeared on X-Factor, since then she's set up shop in LA and has written for the likes of Hailee Steinfeld, Selena Gomez, Bebe Rexha and Jason Derulo.
Now, her own debut EP bears all the shine and polish of such experience.
It is a poppy exploration of young adulthood complete with stupidly catchy hooks and some impressive vocal talent.
Famous belongs on a teen-movie soundtrack, running in the same lyrical vein as Lorde's Royals as Adara dreams of stardom, almost rapping her way into a dreamy falsetto. And on Rebels she sounds a little like Lorde too, incorporating choral chants and distorting her vocal for an ethereal feel.
Currency feels a little Charli XCX and Callgirl feels like the kind of song Taylor Swift probably wishes she had on Reputation.
All this is to say that Adara has all the elements to succeed. I just hope that next time things are less formulaic, so we can get more of a feel for her own style, rather than who she reminds us of.
That said, the EP is called Intraduction, and that's what this is. Not quite a fully-fledged arrival, but a nod that leaves you wanting to see what she'll do next.
Ivy Adara, Intraduction
Artist: Ivy Adara Album: Intraduction Label: New Tribe Music Verdict: The kind of intro that makes you wonder what's next
