Ella Red has been releasing music since 2022, when she released her debut single “Damsel in Distress.” Over the years, she has transformed from an alternative/indie artist into becoming a dark pop princess. In January, Ella Red released her debut album, IT’S NOT REAL, which features thirteen songs. Each song has its own unique vibe and is different from the one before. If you fully focus, there are a few that tell an ongoing story.
Tracklist:
- “Parasite”
- “Ball and Chain”
- ”We’re All Gonna Die”
- ”Funeral”
- ”He Asked For It”
- ”Predator”
- ”Party Animal”
- ”Aphrodite”
- ”Cupid”
- ”Always the Artist”
- ”Religion”
- ”Spider String”
- ”IT’S NOT REAL”
“Parasite”
“I don't know me anymore, anymore
Hide under the sheets”
We’ve seen shows, movies, and heard stories about how parasites like to latch onto their hosts and take them over. It’s not an easy thought to bear with. They could make someone feel inhuman. Kicking off her album, “Parasite,” sees Ella Red dealing with life. In the song, she channels themes of toxicity, anxiety, and helplessness. We get two points of view from Ella. One is of her having a parasite she can’t escape, and the other is her being the parasite.
Her mind and body are being taken over by the parasite that wants to latch onto her. She doesn’t feel like herself and feels herself disassociating. She establishes this at the start of the song through the lyrics, “I can see my corpse in reflections.” The “parasite” she’s speaking of is her anxiety or her overall mentality.
“Parasite” is a dark song that paints a vivid, yet haunting picture of what it’s like for someone to deal with their mental health. Ella’s soft voice and the eeriness and softness of the beat tie together perfectly with the lyrics. Starting her album with “Parasite” was a great choice and on brand for Ella Red.
A playlist about self-loathing, anxiety, or self-sabotage would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/2jr3J1HExS8?si=dkyZRT6q7yS5FND9
“Ball and Chain”
“Don't speak, this happens all the time
There's something kinda ugly taking up my mind”
Everybody makes bad decisions from time to time, whether they admit to them or not. “Ball and Chain” offers a glimpse into the various poor decisions people make. The song explores themes of self-destruction, temptation, and identity. Ella Red takes us through what’s going on in her mind. She speaks on the decisions that have been made, such as breaking mirrors and calling people out for trying to be special by taking apples. She acknowledges that her mind isn’t a safe space without directly saying it.
She sees people decorating their ball and chain, possibly romanticizing or distracting themselves. “Ball and Chain” does a great job of showing how people can make poor decisions and also ignore what’s going on around them. Ella uses metaphors throughout the song to paint a vivid picture of things. The song is upbeat. It doesn’t match the vibe of the lyrics, which is the perfect touch.
A playlist about despair, rebellion, or struggle would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/DIyV7uI9AWU?si=6ZhEf79nhrehQ6pV
“We’re All Gonna Die”
“We're all gonna die, in the end, were we ever alive?
If you knew what was next, what would you do there?”
Everyone knows death is inevitable. Sure, people could try to escape it as they do in the Final Destination franchise, but as the movies make one thing loud and clear, no one can truly escape death. Ella Red isn’t afraid to bring up the subject of death on “We’re All Gonna Die”. The song explores themes of mortality, existential uncertainty, and acceptance. The singer reflects on her thoughts and feelings about death.
Ella acknowledges how no one truly knows what happens after we’re gone throughout the song. She doesn’t know what to think or how to feel. She gets anxiety thinking about it, as most people do. The way to cope is by questioning things even though she knows there’s no one who will be able to answer for her. “We’re All Gonna Die” is another song that’s lyrically dark but with an upbeat background.
A playlist about death or introspection would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/kYxl6nmsKs4?si=KHZhZpKRjmX3TtGK
“Funeral”
“I kinda wanna laugh at the way I cried
I've been putting on a smile, though somebody died”
Funerals are usually sad occasions for many people after someone passes away. Ella Red attends a funeral in the fourth track on her album, “Funeral.” The song explores themes of celebration, loss, and self-reflection. Ella shifts from talking directly about death to talking about the funeral of an ex-partner. While most people cry at funerals, she finds herself wanting and doing the opposite. She’s finding happiness in the fact that the person is no longer around to make her feel as if she were the problem in their life.
While she’s happy at the funeral, she acknowledges that she has some guilt and that she self-sabotages. She does a great job capturing the different sides of how people grieve at funerals. The song has a danceable, fun vibe, although the lyrics are moody. It’s one of those songs that would be perfect to play during a season of the show, Wednesday.
A playlist about grief, toxic relationships, or closure would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/2tUh1KgP2s4?si=hE6TV17h6jdFG2jp
“He Asked For It”
“He's in a pit, he wanted this, he asked for it
I already told you that he asked it, asked it”
There’s something about an empowerment song where women control the narrative that makes me happy. We live in a world where men get away with predatory behavior. Having songs where women take control of the situation is much needed. “He Asked For It” is one of those songs. The song explores themes of revenge, empowerment, and justice. In a world where predatory men exist, Ella Red takes matters into her own hands. Men often say, “she asked for it,” in response to sexually harassing women, making the title “He Asked For It” very fitting for taking control of the narrative.
She paints a vivid picture of killing a man whom she sought out for revenge. Ella sings, “I am the judgment and jury watching him walking the ledge,” noting how men are never held accountable for their actions, so she’ll be able to get away with what she’s done to the man in the song. She reverses the roles in an empowering way. The song is chilling and haunting in all the right ways.
A playlist about feminism, vigilantes, or justice would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/ZFc4itpTpxc?si=yEE2RmBg7XopGHcJ
“Predator”
“I'm full of venom for your skin
Something's there, it's just a twinge”
Some women are not to be played with. “Predator” shows why Ella Red is among them. The song explores themes of darkness, identity, and power. Ella Red already let us know what type of person she can be in “He Asked For It,” and in “Predator,” she upped the ante. She metaphorically compares herself to animals such as foxes and sharks. Ella also makes a nod to the first track on her album “Parasite.” She fears no man. Through the lyrics, she makes it clear that if you cross her, you should run for the hills; She has the power and control in this situation.
A playlist about power or dominance would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/aIhd5GDjZmg?si=BU_C8CPh6vrZA_wW
“Party Animal”
“Yeah, I think I wanna be her, too
She's in all of the action, she's like the main attraction”
There’s nothing wrong with being a party animal. The seventh track on the album “Party Animal” finds Ella Red singing about a party animal. The song channels envy, freedom, and obsession. The singer is at a party when she notices another woman who’s being the life of the party. The woman is confident and has all the attention on her. Ella notices her and feels jealous. She admires her. She wants what she has. Better yet, she wants to be her.
Ella nods to Greek mythology through the lyrics, “Somebody called me Aphrodite, I'm a little like Ps-Ps-Psyche (Ah).” The lyrics add a beautiful layer to the song. It could also be said to nod to the next song on her album. “Party Animal” is an upbeat and fun song that oozes Kesha vibes from the singer’s Cannibal and Animal eras.
A playlist about jealousy or fierce women would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/p4HdxOh82hE?si=r_KLrMKjB6gPKhsx
“Aphrodite”
“Aphrodite, hear my plea
Were you as lonely as me?
Did it make you feel more free?”
If you don’t know Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of beauty, love, and procreation. “Aphrodite” finds Ella Red singing to the Greek goddess, herself. The song explores themes of body autonomy, society’s expectations, and self-acceptance. Ella Red goes from admiring another woman in “Party Animal” and saying how she’s not Aphrodite to talking to the Greek goddess, whom she doesn’t think she’s like in “Aphrodite.” Ella continues with the narrative of jealousy in the song. She asks Aphrodite questions she wants answers to.
Ella feels as if she’s living in a cage and wonders if society wants her for who she is or for what she could give them. She’s battling with herself, her insecurities, and the pressure society puts on women. During the bridge, she repeats “A woman fighting a...” and features some of the speech made at the 2017 Women’s March by Angela Davis, which makes the song more powerful than it already was. Unlike “Party Animal,” “Aphrodite” is a somber ballad. The beat is soft, making the lyrics the sole focus.
A playlist about feminism or self-worth would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/rruQeuaUFYY?si=__mW2wrpdF5whXVg
“Cupid”
“Cupid had a deal he had to make, he said
Every heart I loved, he would have to break”
Everyone has heard of Cupid. He’s the Roman god of love, who’s usually depicted carrying an arrow and symbolizes Valentine’s Day. Many artists have created songs about Cupid, and Ella Red can be added to the list with “Cupid.” The song explores themes of heartbreak, self-doubt, and sacrifice. Like in “Aphrodite,” Ella finds herself singing to an ex and the Roman god, Cupid. She reflects on a breakup and its outcome.
When it comes to her ex, she reminisces about their time together. Her ex has moved on, but she still cares about them. As for Cupid, she believes he’s to blame for every heartbreak she’s ever experienced. She doesn’t know who he is and wonders why he’s cruel to her.
In the music video, Ella includes a message that says, “A couple of years ago, my sister went through what she thought was the biggest heartbreak of her life. During the time, I watched as my beautiful sister, who had so much love to give, suddenly felt like she wasn’t enough. It became one of my most heartbreaking songs, not because I could relate to the song, but because I could now understand the pain my sister felt.” The melancholy song is dedicated to her sister, which was a beautiful idea.
A playlist about breakups, love, or vulnerability would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/9lgiqwqdqMM?si=gieCJ5uiLwJR7t2K
“Always The Artist”
“I don't know which feeling is worse
To be an artist without a pen or a muse without an artist”
If you’re an artist in any capacity, then you know what it’s like to find inspiration in other people. In a way, “Always The Artist” is about that. The song explores themes of longing, vulnerability, and self-reflection. Ella has always felt like an artist, but never has she felt like she’s been someone’s muse. She’s frustrated with the thought of not being chosen by someone else. “Always The Artist” finds her having the desire of someone wanting her and wanting to create art that’s inspired by herself.
If she were to be someone’s muse, she would support them. She has a deep longing to be loved in a way she’s never been loved before. And that’s one of the most relatable feelings. “Always The Artist” is a soft ballad that many artists might be able to understand.
A playlist about desire, yearning, and creativity would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/x8aRLWBDb3Q?si=FBBFwI6WQY1Qs8R4
“Religion”
“Takes me to Nirvana, he's my holy karma
I'm my baby's anthem, all my light is just a symptom”
Sometimes people meet someone they’re deeply into to the point of being obsessed with them. “Religion,” the eleventh track on IT’S NOT REAL, shows how it can be when one is deeply in love with someone. The song explores themes of passion, devotion, and obsession. Ella Red finds herself in love with someone to the point of comparing their love to religion.
She admires everything about her partner, including his appearance, the way he loves her, the way he carries himself, and everything in between. She’s willing to do anything for him. He also does everything for her. He takes her to a different world when he’s around her. While the last few songs had a softness to them, the beat of “Religion” reels us back into the darkness.
A playlist about temptation or being in love would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/gUUDrMW5noc?si=3HhMjDEn__xSFvdc
Spider String
“I'm in your mind
I've symbolized the fear that eats your brain”
If you have arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, tread lightly with this one. “Spider String” is more than a song about spiders. Ella will, in her own words, “I'll weave the spider string.” The song explores themes of fear, pain, and defiance. Ella gets morbid and paints a vivid picture in this song. She’s tired of the world around her and feels like a spider with a web to spin.
All Ella wants to do is disappear. She’ll do anything to get what she wants, even if that means instilling fear inside other people's minds. The song perfectly captures how one can be so done with everyone and wants to be by themselves. Overall, “Spider String” is a dark song with lyrics that evoke a sense of being a spider, wanting to entangle people in its web and leave them there.
A playlist about rebellion or isolation would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/0LnJ49s1RO8?si=G-PauRAD0cJcSS1d
“IT’S NOT REAL”
“Please make it stop, make it go away
The sleepless nights and lonely heartaches”
Questioning if everything is real is something people do almost every day. “IT’S NOT REAL” serves as the last song on the album and has Ella Red calling out these things as not real. The song explores themes of identity, society’s pressures, and doubt. Ella finds herself tired of the expectations society puts on others. She knows what she wants. However, in the end, she finds everything obsolete. She doesn’t see anything as real as she once thought it was.
Ella goes so far as to say she no longer exists. She paints us a picture through questioning history and questioning what happens when we leave the world. The lyrics make people stop and think about what’s real and what’s not. After all, many people think we’re living in a simulation.
A playlist about society or life’s ups and downs would suit this song well.
https://youtu.be/ou-zbvPHBVQ?si=lZP_tGbkx2hYKtC1
Ella Red’s IT’S NOT REAL was a great album to listen to. It hooked me from the start, and I couldn’t stop listening. I still can’t stop listening to it. Her lyricism and the way she uses metaphors to paint vivid pictures are beautiful. The album has some relatable moments. The lyrics, while most are dark and morbid, are catchy. It’s hard to choose my top favorites, but if I had to narrow it down to three, they would be “Funeral,” “He Asked For It,” and “IT’S NOT REAL.”
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