Maui, Hawaii born and raised pop singer/songwriter, Lily Meola just dropped her sophomore EP, "Heartbreak Rodeo". Lily, who is no stranger to heartbreak, speaks on the 5-track EP filled with relatable topics - "Heartbreak sucks, but we all go through it... It's all part of the journey, so let's keep going! Let's learn to dance with heartbreak… and then let's move on." Laced with a little country twang and a little bit of American soul, these songs will make you feel ready to hoe down.
TRACKLIST
Heartbreak Rodeo
Mar Vista
Gasoline
Cowboy
I Need You
Lily Meola gained a passion for music at a very young age. She'd listen to artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell and Carole King with her mom in the car. She loved to sing and began performing in local bars and cafes at only 11-years-old! In 2019, Lily's mom was diagnosed with cancer, and the record deal that Lily had at the time was dropped. Sadly, Lily's mom passed away in 2020; but Lily's mom was an inspiration for her and her music, and Lily wasn't about to give up. In 2022, Lily auditioned for season 17 of America's Got Talent where she performed her original song, "Daydream" and received the golden buzzer from Heidi Klum. Lily ended up winning 3rd place in the competition, and her song "Daydream" reached the Top Viral Charts in 27 countries. From then on, nothing was stopping Lily from taking over the world. She released a full debut EP in 2022 also titled "Daydream", has shared the stage with major artists like Willie Nelson, Imagine Dragons, Ray Lamontagne, Steven Tyler, and Alice Cooper, and now has over one million monthly Spotify listeners and a loyal fanbase. Her second EP, "Heartbreak Rodeo" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee and is a personal project Lily hopes can, in the end, help others with their own heartbreak. Let's dive into these tracks!
Heartbreak Rodeo
We start out the EP with the title track, "Heartbreak Rodeo" which gives us a sum of exactly what this EP is about. Lily sings, "you know this ain't my first", meaning yeah, this really hurts but I've been through it before, so I know that I'll be okay. It's a song of knowing your self worth, and knowing there are bigger and better things to come despite how much you are hurting right now. The soundscape of "Heartbreak Rodeo" is very nostalgic country; the acoustic guitar mixed with the slider, as well as the vocal harmonies felt like southern back porch heaven. Lily's voice is so smooth and flawless, you could just about listen to her sing all day. It was reminding me a lot of Sara Evans and The Chicks; a very 90's / early 2000's type of country influenced slightly by pop.
Mar Vista
Named after a westside neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, "Mar Vista" is a song about the memories that come up after going through a break up. Even though there was a time where things were good, and it can hurt to look back on what you once had, all you know now is that you deserve better and want to move on. Lily comes in a little stronger with the twang on the vocals here as she goes for a very old-fashioned, mid-century country style with a slow bass, gentle harmonious "ooo's" in the background and lots of slide guitar. It transports you back in time, and you feel like you're in a western bar in the 1950's with smoke filling the air. The approach on this particular song gave me early Miranda Lambert vibes in the best way.
Gasoline
"Gasoline" is a gorgeous, sitting around the campfire type of song that features bright, crisp acoustic guitar, a soft stomping beat and gentle, lullaby-like vocals from Lily with heavenly harmonies to back her up. "Gasoline" is about wishing there was a simple fix whenever you're dealing with relationship troubles, like how when your car is running out of gas, you can just go to the gas station and fill it up and you know that everything will be alright. Lily sings, "If only hearts could run on gasoline..." so when your heart is starting to feel empty, it would be as simple as filling it back up and you'd be in love again - but unfortunately, love isn't that simple. You can hear the emotion in Lily's voice as she sings, almost as if she is giving up, or "running out of gasoline" within her heart. It's that soft, heartbreaking sadness that gives you those stinging pains in your chest.
Cowboy
Next we have "Cowboy" which is a song Lily claims she wrote simply because she wanted to write a song about cowboys. Cowboys are known to be lone rangers; they come and go as they please, and don't dare to get too close to anybody. Falling in love with a cowboy is a risky thing to do, because you never know if they're just messing with your heart because they're great con artists or if they'll just leave with no trace left behind because you got too close to their heart. "Cowboy" takes more of a modern country-pop approach to it's production, with a popping bass, a signature acoustic guitar groove and a catchy hook to get stuck in your head.
I Need You
Closing out the EP, we have the song "I Need You" which ends things on a more positive note. It's a sweet, gentle little love song about comparing your need for someone to the importance of other things like how "the planets need the space" and "the ocean needs the waves". "I Need You" puts acoustic guitar at the forefront, but features tambourine and a little bit of banjo to keep that southern theme going. The beautiful emotion you feel emanating from this song is enough to bring a tear to your eye. It's that feeling of peace, and knowing that you've found someone to be your safe place. The song fades out with the melody being whistled, with heavy reverb filling the air, giving the song that dreamy, heavenly vibe that you get when you're in love.
Lily Meola never ceases to amaze me with every song she releases. You can tell how much heart and soul she puts into her music. There's not a single song that is just thrown together or is "filler". The intricate details within every song is crazy; her songwriting, the production, the vocals! Lily's ability to sing just about anything and nail it the way that she does says so much about her natural vocal control; this girl is truly impressive. "Heartbreak Rodeo" is a stand out project and unlike anything Lily has ever done before. I love that she is able to shift and experiment with different sounds and genres, and create these themes and universes for her audience to immerse themselves in. I believe this is still only the beginning for Lily, and I can't wait to see what she does next. If you loved "Heartbreak Rodeo", make sure to dive into the rest of Lily's discography! She has plenty of recent songs that aren't on this EP. Also make sure to follow her below to keep up with her journey, to see where she's touring and to see what she does next!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
FOLLOW LILY:
*Sponsored Post - Discovered on SubmitHub. A contribution was made to help create this article as part of a promotional campaign.
Comments