Panicbaby, whose real name is Sophie, is a German artist who gives a nostalgic aspect to the novelty of her music, while taking inspiration from artists like Lana del Rey or Mitski. She mentioned wanting to bring back yearning in 2025, and she started with the release of her first single, ‘Claw Marks’ on July 22nd. Talking about avoidant attachment and trauma, the song already set the tone of her general vibe.
On September 26th, she released her second single, ‘Other boys are boring’, a song about the complexity of handling a toxic relationship. She tells us about that feeling of being torn between what is right for us and what we want. The lyrics clearly show the opposition between the toxicity of the love interest and the strong love that the artist feels towards him. The words “Oh, I swear I’m gonna find somebody, find someone that isn’t bad for my health” show that she acknowledges the wrong done to her and has a semblance of will to depart from this problematic relationship. The words that follow, “Oh and darling one day you’ll be sorry and I’ll be with someone else”, highlight a will to see her lover suffer like she does in the relationship, a strong desire for a kind of revenge. Yet, it is immediately followed by the chorus: “But other boys are boring, they’re stupid and they’re rude, it’s terribly appalling that none of them is you”, which shows that the artist puts her love interest on a pedestal, and that she refuses to move on despite being entirely conscious that she should leave the situation.
Panicbaby laid lyrics on a simple yet efficient instrumental based on the use of an omnichord, and she succeeded in conveying the longing and pain that seems to be felt particularly by today’s younger generation. She has already shared sneak peeks of her next songs, and she is for sure a rich vein for those who miss a whimsical aspect in music.
Written by: Shan Gosselin
Edited by: Mandy Huibregtsen
