Recommended tracks: “monster,” “to each their own,” “for the record”
Artists you may like: Julia Michaels, Zara Larsson, FLETCHER
Pop music is most powerful when it tells the truth, even when that truth is messy. On her new EP FINE!, 19-year-old singer-songwriter colby! turns heartbreak, rage, and self-reflection into six tracks of glittering confessionals, emerging with something that sounds like the aftermath of a storm; windswept, a little bruised, but still standing.
Produced by her brother RJ Johnson (who also plays guitar, bass, and keys), FINE! serves as a stunning introduction to colby!’s unfiltered songwriting and unpredictable sound; a one-of-a-kind aesthetic she initially conceptualized in colors. “I saw everything in green and silver and hot pink, with a sort of vibrant, retro feel,” says colby!, who counts Olivia Newton-John’s roller-disco musical Xanadu as a core inspiration.
The EP is a follow-up to 2024’s Dead Giveaway, which introduced colby! as a diarist in the mold of early Lorde or Olivia Rodrigo. But where that debut lingered in melancholy, FINE! is messier, louder, and unapologetically tangled. It’s the sound of someone learning to speak up after being talked over—maybe even by herself.
The crown jewel here is “Monster,” a slow-burning, synth-drenched duet with indie-pop up-and-comer Shaya Zamora. The track began as a voice memo from Zamora, which colby! took to her brother and longtime producer RJ Johnson. “The whole process came together pretty quickly,” she says. “It was a bit different from what I had written before, both lyrically and sonically.” That difference pays off. With eerie harmonies and a pulsing rhythm, “Monster” explores a toxic relationship that both parties know is doomed—but can’t resist:
“Clinging to my body like you never get enough / My love’s a hell you can’t seem to run from / Dangerous love, wild and fast / Burns so bright but it won’t last / Oh, you’re a monster in disguise / Got the devil in your eyes.”
colby! doesn’t just sing about destruction; she narrates it from the inside, letting the tension bleed into every breath. “I think what we ended up with is really special,” she adds. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear the song and see the music video.” Neither can we:
Then there’s “For The Record,” a track that simmers instead of boils. It finds colby! months after a breakup, flipping through the mental receipts with cool clarity. “It’s about holding onto the receipts,” she says. “Reflecting on everything that happened, and feeling the urge to tell them where you stand now.” It’s less a diss track than a reassertion of self— tender, thoughtful, and quietly cutting.
Elsewhere on the EP, tracks like “Fine” and “Out of Sight” balance biting lyrics with polished, melodic production, proving that colby!’s not afraid to dress hard truths in beautiful clothes. There’s a sense that she’s writing her way through something in real time, and inviting us to watch.
With FINE!, colby! isn’t just crafting bangers for sad girls in their bedrooms. She’s building a voice, a vision, and a growing catalog that refuses to look away. At 19, she’s already figured out that pain is more than a punchline, and pop music can be more than a balm. It can be a reckoning.
Keep up with colby!: Website // Instagram // TikTok // YouTube
This review was made possible by SubmitHub.
