by madden levin
We just can’t stop listening to Katelyn Tarver’s new album, Subject To Change! The album was released to the public November 12th (TODAY!), but we were grateful to have been given the opportunity to take an early listen. With the pressure on from society for young female artists, Tarver proves to new and old fans that she is willing to take the powerful risk of sticking true to herself in her music. Her past discography is creating anticipation in fans to see what’s coming next… and don’t worry, the wait is now over and we can all enjoy all 11 tracks of Subject To Change.
The album begins with the low-vibes of “Back To You” – the perfect tune for an evening of relaxation with the LED lights placed just right. The honesty she shares in this song expresses great hurt but emotional maturity in understanding that this individual or thing is your end goal despite the hurt. Premiering this album with this first track was extremely vital, in my opinion, as it sets the stage of the messages that Tarver is trying to relay to fans throughout the project.
Fans were grateful to be given the opportunity to listen to the next track, “Nicer,” before the release of the album. Especially in a society where people pleasing is so expected but so painful, Tarver explains the hurt that this can cause internally, but encompasses it in an easy-listening environment for fans to truly feel the message. There is no question as to why this song has already made its mark on your favorite streaming platform.
In addition to “Nicer,” Tarver also released “All Our Friends Are Splitting Up,” “Shit Happens,” and “Hurt Like That” before the countdown for the album was completed. These four songs gave fans a taste of the variety of emotions and tunes that this lyrical-genius was crafting as a whole for the project. Personally, “Shit Happens” has stuck with me since the second I pressed play; the raw emotion combined with honesty and acceptance is extremely motivating, but still elicits comfort in a strange way.
Moving along to a song about (possibly) moving on, “Year From Now” gives young people comfort in a time where it’s hard to give up on someone from your past life. This tune accepts the difficulty of letting someone go that has been previously important to you, but showing that it does indeed take time to get to that point. Often, this message is portrayed in music as a sad time that should be mourned, but Tarver seems to celebrate the positive outcomes that could come out of this decision. For this reason alone, I believe this song is one of the strongest on the entire album!
Hurt, resilience, and honesty is a strong theme throughout the album, with songs like “Out of Excuses” and “At The Same Time” reigning at the top of that list. Specifically, “At The Same Time” expresses the understanding that sometimes things don’t come easy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve the time and care. Nevertheless, that hurt surrounds each verse like a stab wound with a rose growing out of it — and I couldn’t think of any other way to have it.
The album concludes with “Glad I Got You” and “When I Leave Home,” a perfect ending to an incredible experience. The planning that went into curating these songs in a specific pattern is all in the experience. Trust me, this is one of those albums that you have to listen to in order and you will not regret it. “When I Leave Home” is the perfect goodbye song — the fear that comes with leaving something important to you and the understanding of the comfort that that place or person has given you. Nevertheless, Tarver expresses that regardless of how many times she experiences this, she knows it’ll continue because of the passion she feels for her home — whether that be physically or mentally.
The delicate nature of this album is portrayed in such a comforting but hurtful way that makes it a true experience to listen to from start to finish. As Tarver’s voice eloquently speaks the words that we are all unconsciously thinking of, share in the experience with us and tell us what you think of the album! We promise you will enjoy it as much as we do.