Pomegranate Seeds: 9/10

Poppy, a music artist who makes heavy metal, rock, and pop music, has recently come out with her new EP titled “Stagger,” featuring four songs and running for roughly 11 minutes. This new EP is her first release with Republic Records, which also is contracted with artists like Taylor Swift, Clairo, and Ariana Grande.  “Stagger” comes out alongside her 2022 tour, accompanying The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction.

Poppy first gained popularity around 2014 on YouTube under the name “That Poppy,” where she was known for her doll-like and robotic actions as well as her commentary on internet culture and modern society. Since 2016, she has been making music under the official name “Poppy” and has been tied to multiple different labels like Island Records, who helped her record “Bubblebath” in 2016 under her original YouTube name, and Sumerian Records, who worked with Poppy on I Disagree in 2020 and Flux in 2021.

When comparing “Stagger” to “I Disagree,” her new EP’s sound has calmed down dramatically, which is not uncommon for Poppy’s music since she likes to experiment with many different genres. Though, songs like “FYB” still hold onto the rock sound and feature strong instruments and metal screams, similar to the ones often heard in “I Disagree.”

Something I love about the EP is how it was a way for Poppy to release the feelings she had over a traumatic relationship, as she says in an interview with Kerrang! magazine. “‘It was the dissolve of a very traumatic relationship,’ she recalls. ‘Music, for me, has always been like an exhale.’”

This becomes even more apparent in the song “Pocket” where she says “I’d make exceptions to my rules for you / I’d forget who I am for you / I’d ruin every plan for you / I forgot how to stand ‘cause I stood for you.”

“Shapes” has a similar theme to “Pocket,” where the lyrics talk about how someone is forcing Poppy, in this case, to change to fit how they want her to be. While Poppy explains how she’s changing to become a better person, the other person is not noticing and still tries to force her to be someone different. Despite being one of the shorter songs on the EP, it still holds great lyrics and meaning.

“Stagger,” the title track of the EP, is definitely the calmest of the four. Poppy talks about how she’s trying to end a relationship but is held back by the other person, which is most clear in the lyrics “I’m tryna get to where I’m going / A new way to call it off / You leaned in when I told you to stop / My heart is now imploding.” Although much less aggressive sounding than the rest of the EP, it is still very interesting to listen to and is likely to appeal to people who are not fond of rock or metal music.

Overall, after taking into account the lyrics, vocals, and instruments of “Stagger,” I rate it 9/10 pomegranate seeds. If you’re a fan of alternative genres like rock and metal, I would definitely recommend “Stagger” and the rest of Poppy’s work. Even if you aren’t into alternative music, I still believe you should listen to the song “Stagger,” simply because it sounds great.