Artist Close-Up: Upsahl Has Got Rich Friends
I keep on thinking about what makes a “pop star,” particularly in this era of excess and empowerment. We are living in a world of #wokeness: a literal social media hashtag that is meant to symbolize spiritual mindfulness on your Twitter Feed. Let that sink in. Enter Upsahl to show the duality we face as, what Yoshi Flower calls, “zen ratchets;” we want to live in a better world while also living that luxury life.
With a literal jam called “All My Friends Are Rich,” Upsahl entertained New Yorkers with her balance of thoughtful egotism, which is, by all means, so pop! Before there were the Bravo housewives, we relied on Pop Divas to be our surreal taste of a “Yes Life!” A life where our closets were filled with modern fashions, negative emotions were healed by diamonds, and heartbreaking men were simply replaced by the next, rich husband. Yet, even her lyrics she shows that “glamor” has a toll on the heart.
As a Christian such a life would make me clutch the Bible, but as a pop connoisseur, I sip that melodic wine up, which is why Upsahl is amazing. She is able to emote the sweet arrogance of access and wanting the world to entertain YOU. I know that these compliments are very strange. “Thoughtfully narcissist” is not exactly a Hallmark statement on someone’s inner beauty. Yet, again, this is pop. “Wish You’d Make Me Cry,” “Fine,” and “Smile For The Camera,” have Upsahl singing from ivory towers and asking why no one has managed to inspire her to climb down. She is living in a fantasy and wants a relationship that makes reality equal to the excitement of her dreams. This is a basic human desire that borderlines between selfish and necessary.
UPSAHL – Wish You’d Make Me Cry (Official Video)
Your life is yours, and you need to surround yourself with people that make it something you want to keep. Such a message Upsahl emotes through her body and voice, which fit, in style and swag, between Sasha Sloan and Charli XCX. As a performer, she is able to to be fun, friendly, and strangely demagogic; a saccharine badass eager to get her piece of the pie. I’m for it. Click Here For More Information On Upsahl.
