Breakups can be hard, and some are harder than others. Empty Pinata recounts a particularly fiery one in his new single, Bonfire.
By Graeme Smith
Inspired by the real-life experience of having a box of his belongings burned by an ex-girlfriend, Bonfire is a track for anyone who has ever been on the business end of a bad breakup. If that sounds a little severe for you, never fear. The story is wrapped in the guise of a bright and wistful indie pop number.
Opening stripped-back, the track quickly finds a driving groove that will have you nodding along. When the vocals come in, they are compelling and emotional, creating a dreamy current that flows over the punchy instrumental. We get some rich storytelling in the lyrics of the verse, invoking scenes of modern, urban folk.
Genre-wise it brings together the catchiness of pop, the soul of R&B and the edginess of soft rock. A memorable chorus sticks with you; after a few refrains, it urges you to sing along. Just when you think you’ve got the full measure of the track, it ends big with some rousing drums.
Bonfire was co-produced by Gamal (who Empty Pinata credits with the “face-melting” lead line) and Bloom. The single is out now and you can give it a listen below.
Empty Pinata is the project of Alejandro Rodriguez, a American artist who previously performed as rapper and hip-hop artist LA Rodriguez. The move from hip-hop to bedroom pop was prompted by a relocation from New York to America’s South.
“I’m not in an ‘urban environment’ anymore,” he explained in a recent interview with mesmerized.io. “Rap and hip-hop are very social genres. They play well with others in their values, whereas pop music is a bit more digestible but lonely in its writing. I’ve been creatively lonely down here is the short answer. I miss rapping and making beats though – I’ll say that much. For now, the music-making process has been a drum machine and throwing chords on top of it.”
Bonfire is his second single under the new moniker, following on from the delightfully-titled I Have A Hugh Crush On Doja Cat. An upcoming EP, Nail Biter, is on its way.
I’m so glad to have discovered Empty Pinata who is able to balance the serious and unserious in his own unique form of pop so well. I really hope you’ll dig his music too. It feels like a good time to be discovering it. I suspect there’s plenty more to come from him.
If you want to find out more about Empty Pinata, you can follow him on Spotify, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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