“What happened to the boys we fucked in school”, Phoebe Green sings on her latest single So Grown Up. Ultimately a song about friendship, the Manchester-based artist frames the story by recounting how the relationship has been strengthened through toxic social structures, failed loves, and troubled times when coming of age. Acting like a woman but looking like a child, or the other way around – around So Grown Up seems like a very personal song working through events of the past with a dose of nostalgia, bitterness, and just the right amount of punky anger.

The song is an ode to Phoebe Green’s best friend who is also starring in the music video to the single wrapped in a ‘fuck you’ to the male gaze that shapes social realities and the youth of women. Not knowing much but knowing they are there for each other, two friends stumbling side by side through a fun park, through life. Musically, Phoebe Green creates a masterful fusion of 80s synthesizers, heavy guitar riffs, and a drum beat rooted in indie rock. The composition provides a solid backdrop for her laconic vocals contrast the emotional range of the lyrics from sad and angry, to strong and resilient. The artist says:

“For a while now I’ve been wanting to write a song that feels like it’s straight out of a ‘90s coming-of-age film, that is equal parts nostalgic and bittersweet; I wrote about my relationship with my best friend of ten years, and how our pivotal years from vulnerable teenagers into adults were somewhat moulded by men and our experiences with them. Our self worth and our identity was so heavily warped by the male gaze, and it was overwhelming and almost uncomfortable to come to that realisation, I really wanted this song to reflect those feelings of sadness and anger that I feel now, but also our combined strength, resilience and love that we have as a result.”

Don’t miss the incredible sweet acoustic version of So Grown Up which Phoebe Green recorded for us exclusively.

Interested in the best yet still way too unknown music? Awesome! Because every Monday you’re favourite music blog is updating its 50-track-strong Listen AHEAD Playlist on Spotify as we add ten strong songs by fresh artists on top of it. And you are happily invited to follow the playlist over on Spotify and give these new talents a spin. They surely deserve it.

This week’s picks include brand new music from artists like Brimheim, Girlhouse, Musha, Kone Mara, Cathrin Gram. Come and hit the play button.