{10,000 Views Special Pt.6} Have I found the world's most relatable songwriter?

Hi! So, if you're a regular reader of my Hallett's Hits "bloggio station" updates each week, and if you've seen my recent post where I selected eight artists I think will go mainstream in the next few years, you'll know that I've recently become a fan of Lyn Lapid. I was just introduced to her a few months ago and she's already one of my top artists. I particularly love her song In My Mind, which is now one of my all-time favorites and possibly the most personally relatable song I've ever heard. Lyn Lapid is everything I look for in a good artist - relatable lyricism, distinct musical style, and versatility. She just released her debut album Buzzkill a few weeks ago and it's definitely my favorite album this year so far (somewhat subject to change with new projects from Laufey and Olivia Rodrigo and the final two Taylor Swift rerecords predicted to come out this year). So I'm gonna review it. Let's get into this review!

1. Buzzkill

My rating: 5/5 Great

We start off strong with the title track, and an awesome song that really reminds me of Sabrina Carpenter. It's a fun, playful take on feeling like you're not where you belong and wanting space at a party. It seems like a common theme in Lyn Lapid's discography is loneliness and being excluded, which is extremely relatable. The lyrics are really well written and the production does a great job of adding to the atmosphere. Also, the track list order is important. I love how the album starts with the title track and a song that kinda ties together the rest of the themes. I think this is one of my favorites on the album.

2. Coraline

My rating: 4/5 Good

This is probably the most popular song from the album, and it's the first song I heard from the album and from Lyn in general. And... I'm honestly surprised I ultimately became as much of a fan as I did in the long run with this as my introduction, because this is definitely my least favorite song on the album. Not saying much since this is a skipless album. I'm a fan of these lyrics about not feeling like home and I think they're crafted quite well. I think my biggest problem here is that something about the production sounds kinda wrong to me. It feels like it's progressing somewhere but never quite lands where I think it will. Also, it's pretty generic. It's a forgettable song that I likely won't come back to much.

3. Back Up Plan

My rating: 5/5 Great

We're already back to another great song, and we're coming up on a long streak of seven consecutive 5/5s. Wow. So, this is one of my favorite songs on this album, and also one of the saddest, as well as, according to Lyn, the hardest to write. This song could be about a romantic relationship, but I view it as more about friendship. It's a very relatable theme of when you see someone as one of your best friends but they don't think the same. It sorta feels like a more ambiguous version of Second Best by Laufey, another amazing song. And the production is gorgeous. Lyn is another example of an artist who's great at evolving production and can excel at both intimate ballads and fun pop songs. Lyn's artistry shines significantly in this song. Amazing.

4. I'll Be Happy When

My rating: 5/5 Great

You know when a song has "happy" in the title, it's gonna be a sad song. This album as a whole is actually pretty sad. (That might explain why it's one of my favorites lol.) It's a song about... just as the lyrics suggest, hopes for the future and wanting to eventually, at some point, be happy. But in the chorus, there's a twist - "But what if it's all too late? What if I'm bound to break?" I know All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) (Sad Girl Autumn Version) (Recorded At Long Pond Studios) (Slowed + Reverb) that whenever there's hope for the future, there's always a fear of it being unachievable that inevitably comes along with it. I think it's cool how the outro is a callback to the title of the album with the refrain of "I'll be a buzzkill forever". This is a gorgeous song and another true emotional journey.

5. Floater Friend

My rating: 5/5 Great

Yes! We've now reached my favorite song off this album, which is currently floating (npi) in the top five on my personal Hallett's Hits countdown. One thing I love in songwriting is when artists write about friendship and don't limit themselves to writing about romance, which Lyn does a lot. The concept in this song is a bit similar to Back Up Plan, but I think it's even more emotionally in-depth. It's essentially about being aware that you're "just there" and not going to be anyone's best friend or lover anytime soon, with a powerfully simple chorus of "I know my place and maybe it's better that way". And the production is stunning as well. The piano here is fantastic, and I'd love to hear more piano songs from her. An instant fav.

6. Forecast

My rating: 5/5 Great

Continuing the trend of great songs for even longer. The production here is awesome, and reminds me of Lover-era Taylor Swift for some reason. But the real highlight, once again, is the lyricism. This is a song about wanting to help someone through a hard time, and it's crafted so beautifully - "your eyes are empty sketches" is one of my favorite lines on this album. The chorus did have me worried at first when she ended a line with "head", and I was thinking "please don't say bed" the whole time, but luckily she rhymed it with "thread". Anyway, that has nothing to do with anything. It's just another great song.

7. Death Wish

My rating: 5/5 Great

This is another one of the more popular songs on this album, and one of my favorite singles from it, a song that's earned itself moderate Hallett's Hits traction. The message of this song is straightforward - it's about the inevitable love-hate attitude toward a best friend's new love interest, and being both happy for them and wanting them to break up. Now that I think of it, it's actually a lot like Call Me When You Break Up by Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco and Gracie Abrams, another song I really like. I'd say I prefer this song over CMWYBU just because the production here is groovier and has some more unique elements to it. Awesome choice for a single.

8. Buttons

My rating: 5/5 Great

And speaking of singles, this is the lead single and my top favorite single from this album now. The big highlight here is actually the production, which is highly keyboard and synth-driven and sounds almost jazzy to me. It's a super fun song, but not in a cheesy way. Lyrically, it might be this album's "happiest" song, about a crush who you want to keep close but is a bit out of your league. The title is a bit strange to me, but it comes from the chorus of this song - "I just wanna be close, closer than the buttons on your coat". It's a great song that I (spoiler alert-ish) plan on adding to Hallett's Top 30 this coming Monday.

9. Fix

My rating: 5/5 Great

This album continues to be a gorgeous emotional journey exploring all the aspects of being a "buzzkill". On top of once again gorgeous keyboard-based production, this might be one of my favorite songs lyrically on the album. It reminds me of the kind of lyrics I write, with really cool metaphors - "You want the honey without the residue / You love how sweet it tastes but hate it when it sticks to you / Tasting adrenaline, I'm not your epinephrine / You want the fireworks without the fire it takes." Lol, it's always funny when a song teaches you a new word, and this song actually taught me what epinephrine is. And the title is great because it has a double function in the chorus - "You don't care where you get your fix from as long as you do / I can't fix that about you" - which is really cool. Amazingly crafted song.

10. Who

My rating: 4/5 Good

Well, nothing is perfect. This song is fine, it's just a bit forgettable and boring compared to most other tracks on the album. The lyrics are fine (albeit generic) about a toxic partner. I just always forget about this song. If just being forgettable is enough to be one of my least favorite songs on an entire album, that's a sign that it's a great album. In the long run, it's fine, but I won't come back to listen again. I don't have anything else to say for this one.

11. Take Me As I Am

My rating: 4/5 Good

Yeah, kinda the same "issue" as the song above it where it just doesn't personally stick with me unlike most of the rest of the album. Again, you know it's an incredible album if the "worst" songs on it only get that label by being fine but easily overlookable. However, unlike the last song, this one is mostly about the lyrics rather than the production. The lyrics are too repetitive for me to really get into them, but I quite like the production. Moving on to the final track on the album.

12. It Doesn't Kill Me Anymore

My rating: 5/5 Great

And after two pretty forgettable songs, we end incredibly strong! I think it's super clever how she starts the album with Buzzkill, and closes things out with a hopeful finish with It Doesn't Kill Me Anymore, tying together the entire storyline of the album. Yes, I know it's a very common trope to close out an album with a hopeful song about moving on from the challenges reflected in previous songs, but I think it's generally done well, and this is definitely an example. The lyrics are simple yet quite powerful, and the synthy production is a nice note to end on. One of my favorite album closers!

Conclusion

Overall rating: 95% (Great Album)

Lyn Lapid has not failed to amaze me with her artistry, and I can't believe she isn't more mainstream by now. If you haven't already, I highly suggest anyone reading this should check out Lyn's discography. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Favorite songs: Floater Friend, Fix, Buttons

"Least favorite" songs: Coraline, Take Me As I Am, Who

Also, I am proud to announce that this is already my 42nd post of 2025. Why does this matter, you may ask? Well, it actually matters a whole lot, because it means I've gotten significantly better at posting regularly - I only got out 41 posts in the entirety of 2024, which means, before the year is even halfway over, I've already posted more than I did last year. (Hallett's Hits has helped that a lot obviously.)

That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!