Following her release “What’s perfect?”, Japanese-born 20-year-old singer and songwriter Grace Aimi releases her new album “If“
The project’s 12 tracks are all intricate, meditative pieces of eclectic pop, each with its own unique themes, moods, and identities. Aimi’s core message rings true over every shining sound. “I want to show people there’s a way to go through something bad and still come out happy,” she says. “I can feel sad or lonely, but there’s a perfect world out there that I just need to go find.”
She knows she’s worth it. “My love is a drug, it might be lethal,” she sings in the chorus. “But I swear you the trip is no compare.” The slow-burning, soulful August single “What’s Perfect?” again showcases Aimi’s intoxicating melodies and a soothing lo-fi vibe that she originally explored on the evocative March ballad “True Feelings”—which shines anew in its place on If. Each song is a little different, but they all add new colors and textures to the otherworldly pop Aimi has dedicated herself to making over the last few years.
Since then, she’s established herself as one of the most vibrant new voices in pop, exploring R&B-inflected melancholy on singles “Rainbow” and more confident, uptempo sounds on tracks like “Friend Zone.”
If collects a few of the singles that made PICNIC shine, but when taken with these new tracks, it’s clear that, in addition to being an affecting storyteller, Aimi is quickly becoming one of pop’s great experimenters. She wrings deep emotional truths and colorful new flourishes out of whatever sounds she touches.
