Babygirl

Babygirl are breathing effervescent life into a new definition of pop music. The Toronto duo–comprised of Kiki Frances and Cameron Bright–is placing a refreshing spin on youth nostalgia with a contemporary edge, thanks to fuzzy guitar riffs and sincere lyrics. Their EP Be Still My Heart, released April 14, 2023 release via Sandlot/AWAL, is a five-track collection that details love’s ebbs and flows.

The band defines its sound as “pop songs with sad guitars”, which is best displayed in the melancholic lead single “Always”. “Is your goldfish still alive? Does your girlfriend want to meet me?” Babygirl ponders over charmingly awkward drums as they try to deal with the aftermath of love ending. There’s also “Sore Eyes”, which focuses on the ways a person can bring levity and purpose into your life. Its gossamer vocals and sugary production drive off into the sunset of a most romantic movie. The band’s earnest nature is most felt on the EP’s “Starlight” opener, which has a delicate balance of despondent lyrics (“Everything is bogus when I’m missing your starlight, what am I to do?”) with hopeful production that sparkles with each guitar flick.

Be Still My Heart is the follow-up to 2021’s Losers Weepers. The band’s releases—a playful mix of Death Cab For Cutie-inspired conversational lyricism and Taylor Swift-inspired use of catchy language atypical for Top 40 pop, with a touch of Shakespearean drama—were steadily met with critical acclaim from platforms like Noisey, Rolling Stone, PAPER, and NYLON. In 2020, the band signed with Sandlot Records via a chance internet encounter with GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Jacob “JKash” Hindlin, who signed the band site unseen. The band collaborated and toured with Lauv and Alessia Cara, and spent the pandemic-induced downtime honing their songwriting and unofficially forming their mission statement: “bittersweet pop rock.”

Says Babygirl: “We really want our music to be hopeful and sweet and full of love, but we also want to acknowledge how hard it can be to feel those feelings. This world is really hard to live in, and there's a lot of pain and joy—equal measure at different times.”