Headfirst is the first extended play (EP) by American singer-songwriter and record producer Marian Renta, released digitally on January 13, 2021. The EP is Renta's first release since her temporary departure from music in 2014. Stark in comparison to her debut studio album "One of a Kind", the EP is an emotional tapestry of alternative pop and soul, and contains little to no drum accompaniment in its songs. The EP was initially uploaded to Soundcloud and Bandcamp before being distributed worldwide to digital stores.
Background[]
Composition and recording[]
The lyrical content of Headfirst is heavily inspired by an undefined relationship Renta was in during the summer of 2020. The songs explore themes of heartbreak, unrequited love, longing, and acceptance of fate. Renta delves into these themes through storytelling and a play-by-play style of songwriting. Most of the songs are composed in a minor key, and feature Renta on piano throughout. The EP consists of four songs, all of which were written and produced by Renta herself, in a downtempo, dramatic style. Recording and mastering took place in Renta's home recording studio from September 2020 to January 2021, and all of the vocals were recorded using an Aston Spirit condenser microphone. The vocal arrangements are simplistic with occasional use of layering and background vocals. They are performed in a mezzo-soprano tessitura, and are expressed through melisma in the chest and head voice ranges.
Track listing[]
All lyrics written by Renta, all music composed by Renta.
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Headfirst" | 4:52 | |
| 2. | "Fragments" | 4:11 | |
| 3. | "Home" | 3:50 | |
| 4. | "Headfirst (Acoustic)" | 4:31 | |
Total length: |
17:26 | ||