Maisie Peters
The Good Witch
Release: June 23, 2023
Review by Nathalie Knudsen
Singer-songwriter Maisie Peters just released her brilliant sophomore album The Good Witch. Being signed to Ed Sheeran's label, who she supported on his world tour last year, this album follows her 2021-album You Signed Up For This. On this record, Peters will have you wanting to dance around your room belting out her fun, but also relatable and hard-hitting lyrics.
PHOTO BY ALICE MOITIÉ
I first heard of Peters when I went to see Ed Sheeran play in Gothenburg, Sweden last August. The only song I'd heard of hers were her newly released single Blonde, which I'd seen circulating on TikTok ahead of the show. And while I can't remember which songs she played, I remember going straight into Spotify after the show to look up her other songs. Her previous releases, such as I'm Trying (Not Friends), John Hughes Movie, Cate's Brother, and Favorite Ex, really stuck with me and I have been following patiently for every single she's released since (Good Enough? Not Another Rockstar? Bops!!!!). I've felt like Peters is one of those artists that you don't hear about that often, and that none of your friends seem to have heard of. Yet, when I've mention her or one of her songs to any of my friends the past year, I've gotten the same exact response everytime, being "OMG I looove her, but I didn't know you liked her too???".
Maisie Peters feels like a songwriter you're gonna wanna pay attention to. In her songs, she could be making up the most fun and exciting stories (like with Cate's Brother, which she recently revealed in concert is completely false, and that Cate's brother has another girlfriend who was not very impressed with the tune), or she could be delivering gut-wrenching lyrics that'll stick with you. Reminding me of a mix of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Norwegian artist Dagny, and Ed Sheeran himself. I'd say that a lot of her songs are so-called "Hairbrush-songs" (meaning songs that you'll want to get out your hairbrush for and sing along to in your room in front of the mirror), and her discography feels like the soundtrack of a cute, modern rom-com or coming of age-movie. Her storytelling is amazing, with each song knowing exactly what it's doing and what story it's telling. It's relatable, fun, and referential whilst still telling unique stories. Examples being John Hughes Movie sounding like it belongs on the soundtrack on a modern rom-com or, you guessed it, a John Hughes movie, and Cate's Brother reminding me of an alternate Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus, both in its storytelling and in its musical sound.
The Good Witch is no different than her previously released music, with Peters continuously proving that she knows her audience really well, and know how to speak to and connect with them through her songs. I'd describe her music as being "refreshingly gen-z" (coming from a 23-year old who's way too often told that she acts too much like a millennial, so interpret that the way you'd like), as it's exciting, playful and hopeful, whilst also touching on the themes of more serious topics such as mental health (with a song literally being titled Therapy), and she's also, I guess, making feminism "fun" with songs like You're Just A Boy (And I'm Kinda The Man) and History Of Man, which are full of historical and pop-cultural references. In other words, Peters is painting a very truthful image of being a 22-year old girl in today's world, going through and experiencing life's many joys and tribulations. And as a listener, it's fun being on this journey with her <3
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A playlist inspired by The Good Witch:
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