May Payne’s Honest New Release is Something Else
Knowing how to express and dive into the harsh truths of her personal experiences in such an honest and brutal way is a skill that Payne has perfected during her process of self-therapy and realisation. Now based in London, the 22-year-old singer/songwriter divulges the uncertainty of directing gender identity in her latest release, Something Else.
After the release of her heart-wrenching EP, Sane, just over a year ago, and the more vulnerable version, Sane (Live Strings Version), earlier this year, the indie/folk artist is back with the final single off her upcoming EP, High Demand. May Payne is no stranger to being vulnerable online; being someone who had a cult following in her teen years in a niche corner of the internet, being exposed to unnecessary controversy, misogyny and public disapproval. Her new single, Something Else, portrays a confessional point of view with her tender expression of honest feelings deep down, yet having a voice that enchants listeners.
The song divulges a voicing of an internal monologue – an expression of self-perception and not fitting into expectations – the experience of the fear that comes with feeling dissociated with femininity, gender dysphoria and uncertainty within queer identity. It starts as an intimate, stripped, organic feel, articulating the intricacy of a mellow yet soulful guitar, slowly building without flaws to create a cosy rise in the ambience of the melodic tune. The addition of trumpets in the song were also recorded by May herself. The bittersweet autumnal comfort of the song’s closing repetitive nature, which is similar to artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, emphasises how the thought is lingering with the uncertainty of stereotypical gender norms and what fits into those categories.
May’s lyrical and compositional success has won her the inaugural CASIO songwriting award, and also allowed her to perform for the first time with an orchestra at the Royal Northern College of Music.
May Payne has a way with words in using her songs as a self healing audible diary, with her songs reaching out and being relatable to people experiencing similar experiences, creating a safe space for her collective.
Something Else is the final single of May’s upcoming EP, High Demand, which is due for release on 22 November.
