Label: RCA Records UK
Released: 3rd March 2023
Real, megawatt stars are rarer and rarer these days. The ones that don’t shy away from infectious hooks and bubblegum glamour. Mimi Webb, however, has those old school qualities by the bucketload. On ‘Amelia’, her debut album, Mimi embraces that larger-than-life, dramatic energy and emerges a pop star in her own right.
‘The Other Side’ sees the album burst into immediately vibrant life. It’s a catchy slide into a narrative, positioning her right off the bat as so over it, on the far side of heartbreak. No breakup is ever that easy, though. ‘Amelia’ sees Mimi feel the force of every side of emotion – from the vicious fury that sees her prepared to torch an ex’s home on hit ‘House on Fire’ to the broken confusion of ‘Roles Reversed’, she soundtracks each simmering emotion with sugary beats and smart lyricism. She’s equally suited to massive, sing-along bangers as she is to shattering ballads, as ‘Last Train to London’ proves; Mimi’s powerhouse vocals allow her to flit from empowered to hurt with ease.
‘Is It Possible’ provides a brief departure from the euphoria of Mimi’s usual banger, with a dizzying electric guitar line amplifying the track into something other. It’s a side to Mimi that could have perhaps been explored more, given the range of her talent, but it sits refreshingly amongst the gloriously explosive tracks the album is dominated by regardless.
As the title might suggest, ‘Amelia’ acts as a glimpse into the girl behind the star – every raw emotion and worry are on full display, but made easier to swallow amongst the syrupy-sweet nature of Mimi’s particular brand of pop. Brimming with the kind of feel-good, get-over-him tracks you’d switch on to lift your best mate’s spirits after a bad breakup, ‘Amelia’ is the slick, liberating sound of a real and true pop star in the making.
