This song, “Small Town Beauty Queen” by Maddie Ettrich, is an indie-pop song about the typical small town dream of getting out and making it big, all the while ignoring the inevitable fall back to where you were before. With lyrics like “so tell me where’s the punchline, or is the joke on me” and “money’s fake but time ain’t free, five seconds lasts longer on MTV,” Maddie Ettrich paints a picture of that small town cycle, never getting out and always feeling like the butt of the joke. It’s a “cliche tragedy,” and a “fucked up fantasy,” and it’s a dream that a lot of people can relate to. You want to end up somewhere other than you are - you want more from life - but it’s never that easy and too far away to grasp.
“Small Town Beauty Queen” is an upbeat alt-pop song that relies on heavy percussion and strong vocals to capture the listener across the three minutes. Starting out with a pounding beat, you’re drawn in immediately, only pulled in further when Ettrich starts singing. Her voice pairs perfectly with the intense melody, enticing you with a certain familiar yet unique pop/punk sound. The tension continues to build even as the song slows down between chorus and verse, keeping you guessing until it all breaks in the bridge, with a stunning guitar solo and a switch up in the pacing. Overall, this song is perfect for someone who loves to find music with that balance between a pulsing rhythm and emotional story.
Maddie Ettrich is an indie-pop singer/songwriter who hails from Canada but is currently based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Similar to other artists like Blondshell, Bully, Soccer Mommy, Ryan Wright, and Olivia Rodrigo, Ettrich has charmed her listeners with her storytelling and her endlessly catchy melodies and beats. She released her first single, “Decaying Candles,” on July 8, 2022, and has since released more songs like “Hold Me Like A High,” “Everybody Loves Cake,” and “Miss Know Nothing.” “Small Town Beauty Queen” is her latest single, released on August 2, 2024. Use the links below to explore more of her music!
Written By Morgan Fischer
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