In recent years, TikTok has played a huge part in the success of up-and-coming artists. Take Frances Forever, whose hit ‘Space Girl’ soundtracked millions of dance challenges across the app last summer, or Olivia Rodrigo, who smashed multiple chart records in the first week of releasing her debut single ‘drivers license’ earlier this year.
SEB is another fast-rising star who has TikTok to thank for his early success. His ‘Watermelon Sugar/Seaside’ mash-up, which fused Harry Styles’ BRIT Award-winning hit with the 24-year-old’s own self-produced lo-fi indie track ‘seaside_demo’, drew on our collective anticipation to get back out into the world and “see the seaside” after over a year of being confined indoors. The creation naturally catapulted SEB to viral fame.
A few months on from his breakout moment, the LA-based artist’s first EP, ‘IT’S OKAY, WE’RE DREAMING’, has arrived. The five-track effort opens with ‘daniel*’, which starts off with an upbeat guitar riff but later fuses into a slower rhythm section as SEB leans into heartbreak. “I miss you all the time,” he repeats.
Elsewhere, recent singles ‘Coney Island’ and ‘THEY DON’T LIKE ME’ deal with the relatable fear of getting older. On the former, he recounts memories of being young and mischievous as he sings of “sneaking out of our parent’s places”. ‘THEY DON’T LIKE ME’, meanwhile, sees SEB question how others perceive him.
‘thrift shopping_pitched’ has a similarly mellow and calming beat that recalls Frank Ocean’s ‘Solo’, before closer ‘killer lover boy’ wraps up the EP in a fun and carefree tone. It’s the type of song that deserves to be belted out in the car with pals on a hot, hazy summer’s day.
‘IT’S OKAY, WE’RE DREAMING’ details what it means to come to terms with growing up, and explores the specific, bittersweet feeling that this universal experience brings. With buckets of hope and optimism loaded into these five songs, the EP’s celebratory mood makes for the perfect soundtrack to those brighter days ahead of us.
Details
- Release date: July 30
- Label: Mom + Pop
