MUSIC REVIEW: Emilia Ex - “Mitä sä sit luulet?” EP
If the name Emilia Ex is unfamiliar to you, never fear, it’s unfamiliar to me as well. I first heard her name when she was on the roster for JoJo & Friends vol. 2 on March 13th, though I didn’t make it into town to see them playing together, unfortunately. Nevertheless, Emilia stood out for having the same bright orange hair as Johanna von Hertzen, so a picture of the two of them together online made me smile, so I put on this new EP that came out in January, “Mitä sä sit luulet?” Her style seems to be in favor of 2000s-style pop music, interestingly enough, and well-made throwbacks are always fun!
This debut EP is a 4-track release in Finnish, making for something an little interesting, at least for me. The late ‘90s/early ‘00s were when I was transitioning heavily into a metalhead, yet this was the last era of pop music that I have any form of fond nostalgia over. I can’t find much from Emilia predating 2022, so she seems to be fairly new, thus making her exactly the sort of artist to pique my interest.
The EP’s first track is also the title track [trans: what do you think then?], which has clap/snap sounds in the rhythm as Emilia sings overtop, with light backing music. Her vocal lines are really bouncy and the “ohh-oh” parts after the chorus are fun. It’s a catchy piece and really does invoke that ‘00s nostalgia, especially in the C-part, and I feel like I’m getting part-Britney Spears, part-Christina Aguilera, and part-herself. “Money Lisa” is really fun due to the surrounding music, which creates a funky groove with little fills to add some flavor to the sound. It also has an absolutely bangin’, catchy chorus! The male voice singing the name in the background and what sounds like horns at times also add nice texture.
“Epätäydellinen” [imperfect] then, has a really classic Britney Spears sound in the music, while she sings in her own style overtop. I find this really fascinating, because my ear is not attuned to hearing this kind of music in Finnish, but I like it! This is another very catchy track that’s easy to like. The EP then wraps up with “Lasikenkä” [glass shoe], which is a peppy and bouncy, light-spirited track that makes me imagine Emilia doing some choreographed dance moves on stage to it, with the backing dancers and all that. It finishes the EP on a high note, leaving the listener hoping for more.
“Mitä sä sit luulet” is am upbeat, clever, and nostalgic EP that both offers something fresh while taking you back in time, sound-wise. If you’re looking for something upbeat and uplifting to kick off your spring, or if you just wish all music was in Finnish and you’re a big fan of pop music, circa 2000, this is definitely an EP worth checking out!
Tracklist
Mitä sä sit luulit?
Money Lisa
Epätäydellinen
Lasikenkä
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