By Alli Dempsey | 21 July, 2023
After teasing three singles throughout the first six months of 2023, emerging pop singer-songwriter Savanna Leigh has finally released the third project under her name — somewhere in between.
The EP, which dropped on streaming services June 9, contains five catchy yet sentimental tracks where Leigh bears her heart on her sleeve about the pains of being stuck in the middle of nothing and a relationship — getting left on an unrequited string of complicated feelings.
The progression of the record lays out the tale of what is commonly known as a “situationship” — defined by Oxford as a relationship “that is not considered to be formal or established.” The first track and single, “arms length,” details the internal struggle of knowing there can be something more with a person, but having to see them from a distance.
In the second song, “emotionally invested” — which The News Stan(d) reviewed in April — Leigh sees this lover at a physical distance, causing her untreated feelings for them to fester, leaving her to “pay the consequences.” In this modern dating world of hiding behind screens, apps and discarded labels, Leigh accurately paints a picture that is unfortunately too familiar to a generation of lovers tired of constantly being played by those who are unsure what they want.
On “misery,” the final single teased before the full release, Leigh resorts to hostility, pleading with this lover to give her some sort of closure, no matter how harsh. “Tell me that you hate my guts / say that I’m too messed up,” she begs, articulating the internal monologue which arises when you just want any type of response during a “no contact” episode.
The two fresh tracks, “somewhere in between” and “never leaving,” draw some sort of a conclusion to this tumultuous love story. Leigh comes to terms with the fact that this relationship was destined to always be exactly how it is: “If I love you back, I’m never leaving.” The somber final line of the EP sets Leigh free from the pain of this jagged affair — though the hushed voicemail call heard at the end suggests that this realization is bittersweet.
In her artist bios, Leigh states that she aims to put her “feelings into songs so I can find people who feel the same.” “I want my fans to resonate with the feeling that it’s okay to be human,” she explained during her EP release event with SuperQuickQuestion on June 22. She elaborates:
People try to make breakups seem like you should have an answer, never look back or talk to that person ever again. I wasn't able to acknowledge my emotions for a while about my ex because I was like, “My family and friends are gonna judge me, so I have no one to talk to.” I want people to feel accepted, and that it's normal to have thoughts and feelings reappear after you break up with someone. It's okay to navigate those.
somewhere in between is an honest and unique pop project that stands out among the wave of the singer-songwriter genre. It blends acoustics, hazy sounds and beachy aesthetic visuals to curate an EP that will get stuck in your head throughout your week. Using her music to cope on her own, Savanna Leigh helps her listeners to understand their emotions and situations — while standing as a voice for a generation of lovesick, online twenty-somethings.
