Released: 15th May 2020
Rating: ★★★★
It’s rare that a debut album feels more like a comeback, but alt-pop Queen ALMA achieves the impossible with ‘Have U Seen Her?’, an album the world has been patiently waiting for.
ALMA’s debut tells a very personal story laced with the struggles of a young adult being thrown into the limelight. Not afraid to speak her truth, she addresses issues from women’s rights to body positivity, from sexuality to depression and drug use head-on. The album fluctuates between confidence and anxiety, ecstasy and vulnerability, two storylines that reach their respective peaks in ‘Loser’ and ‘Mama’. One embracing, nay owning her chaos – the other coloured by defeat and insecurity: “Mama, I think I drank too much today. Mama, I think all of my friends hate me, you gotta promise you’ll always forgive me.”
Stand out moments include first single ‘Bad News Baby’ that, with intoxicating beats, bouncy rhythms and an irresistible chorus, gives you powerhouse ALMA at the top of her game, and closing track ‘Final Fantasy’, a beautifully poetic song that perfectly captures her gift for writing effortlessly flowing melodies.
‘Have U Seen Her’ combines all the best of an artist spearheading a movement of female empowerment, of finding strength in raw and honest vulnerability. In the past two years, ALMA hasn’t lost any of her sucker punch attitude.
Laura Freyaldenhoven
