It is neither an EP nor an album. Emerging pop newcomer of note Griff. and winner of the Brits “Rising Star” award has decided to unleash her debut collection of tracks out on a mixtape format instead. She recently broke the news of the release directly after her deserved BRITS win and while dropping off the excellent title track “One Foot In Front Of The Other“. (Listen here if you haven’t already). She had previously shared the tracklisting, where I was beyond glad to see the high voltage pop bop “Black Hole” had been allocated the opening slot. But Griff is really treating us because the mixtape consists of 7 tracks. That’s like one for every day of the week. And because she’s a proper pop star now, she got into the pop star mode, and surprise dropped (or Beyonce’d) the “Shade of Yellow” just hours before the mixtape release.
“Shade of Yellow” received its, first play on the Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music. As you’d expect Zane got Griff, in for a chat. Speaking with the DJ she said “I started writing at the beginning of lockdown not knowing that it was going to be a mixtape. I was just writing because I guess that’s all I know what to do. And I guess it started forming into a body of work.”
She has given us two big doses of pop in “Black Hole” and “One Foot Of The Other” yet switches her attention to the electronic realm for dreamy and melodic “Shade Of Yellow“. This is a comforting kind of track with a whole lot of heart and sentiment put into it. Where Griff speaks about the times (like when spent in lockdown) when too much alone can mean we become prone to getting into heads too much. The need to escape to a happy place (in the instance of this track, a friends house) becomes both a refuge and a saving grace. “There’s a light in your room and the lamp is a shade of yellow, and it makes me feel safe and sound and I swear that’s rare these days.” she sings.
Do I have a lump in my throat, because I am brimming with emotion and feelings brought on by Griff’s cleverness with “Shade of Yellow” similarly brimming with emotion and feelings? Too right I do. If you have any doubt about the hype around Griff, just listen to “Shade of Yellow” and the “One Foot In Front of The Other” mixtape and you’ll soon understand why the hype is justified. Amazing production. Brilliant songwriting. Gorgeous musicality and vocals. The “One Foot In Front of The Other” mixtape is just the beginning, giving a glorious tease of what a future album from Griff might be like.
Check out the “One Foot In Front of the Other” mixtape HERE
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