Give It a Spin: “Cellophane” by Emily Blue

Sweet. Psychedelic. Stuck in your head.

Sound familiar? That’s how we started off our last check-in on electro-pop savant Emily Blue, wherein MWA head honcho Alyssa Welch encouraged you to check out the lysergic bubble gum of “Rico Acid.” On that track, the former Tara Terra frontwoman combined melting synths, staccato rhythms and her stunning vocals to craft a dubiously seductive track exploring temptation, impulse and monogamy. Examining relationship dynamics and gender politics through catchy pop songs has become a trademark of Blue’s, and she delivers another sizzler in the same vein with her most recent single, “Cellophane.”

Blue is developing a reputation as one of the most interesting, and maybe most important, voices in the Chicago music scene. On “Cellophane,” she aims her candied vocals and critical eye at male possessiveness, as well as the Rob Gordon/High Fidelity question of fantasy versus reality in relationships. Musically, it’s a bit of a throwback- the percussion here is almost an homage to Michael Jackson’s 1988 hit, “The Way You Make Me Feel.” Blue avoids retro-schtick territory, in part by weaving elements of psychedelic pop and hip-hop into her music. Not to mention that given the subject matter, she makes MJ’s tune feel quaint by comparison.

“Cellophane” is the first track from Emily Blue’s forthcoming EP, *69. If you’re looking to tunes you can move to that also carry a message worth spreading, you’ll want to snag a copy when it drops.

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