Tag: ACM Alumni

Issue 8 – SINGLES REVIEWS: Woman on Your Screen, Emma Hampton

Posted on by Ngaire Ruth

I wrote this song after seeing a beautiful woman on TikTok in a gorgeous, seductive red dress and thinking, ‘Wow, I’ll never be her.

      As someone with OCD, this song feels like those intrusive thoughts are taking the microphone and saying, ‘You can be stable, you can be loved, but if you’re not sexy, then what’s the point?’ When I sing this song live, a lot of women relate to it on different levels – whether it’s about their relationship to their partners, or their idea of how the patriarchy sees them.’

      To me, listening to Woman on your Screen is a charming pause; it reminds me of gazing at a snow globe, every snowdrop falling at its own pace, spiralling, floating, gliding till it settles. Hampton is a chanteuse, reminiscent of 50s and 60s icons like Julie London, Helen Merril, and the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald. These are formidable artists denied their true female subjectivity because they were given songs to sing. Hampton’s songwriting is authentic to her experience, and the lo-fi self-production is a fragile thing of loveliness – I am so bored with Logic stealing the show and making everyone sound the same. 

      ‘I produced this song by myself, using my phone’s microphone and a very helpful video on how to mix poor-quality recordings,’ she explains to me.  ‘It turned out amazing, and I learned a lot about how to make the most of what I’ve got!’

(NR) 

What do you think? Do you want a review? Contact buzz@acm.ac.uk

Woman On Your Screen

Issue 8 – SINGLES REVIEWS: Erase Me, Replace Me, Samira Manners

Posted on by Ngaire Ruth

Words: Nicole Porter

The third single from Samira’s EP ‘the house we built’ sheds light on the grief and hurt that comes with a relationship ending.

Set over acoustic folk guitar and earthy drums, Samira’s ‘erase me, replace me!’ holds its anger at a past lover while equally reeling in the confidence of knowing that person will always remember you and, subsequently, how they treated you in the sarcasm of its lyrics: “I will always haunt these walls”.

The chorus, layered in beautiful harmonies, captures the self-trust and resilience that anchor someone through hard times. The song moves seamlessly into the second verse, which complements the emotions discussed in the chorus. However, the verse is more playful and cheeky while also being highly exposing and personal: “never good enough, well it should be my middle name,” showing the scars left behind, even though the relationship no longer exists. 

For me, the highlight of this song comes in the pre-chorus; Samira’s emotional delivery highlights the inner turmoil between what you know is true and what someone is telling you as Samira sings “Pull the rug on our love, make it my mistake, but how am I to blame?” Her voice begins to boil over, and the final chorus serves as catharsis for the journey she was thrust into. 

If ‘erase me, replace me’ is an indicator of what’s to come, Samira’s next EP will be a triumph of beautifully emotive storytelling. 

Erase Me, Replace Me

Send us your thoughts? Are you after a single, EP or live review? Contact thebuzz@acm.ac.uk