Orion Sun‘s self-titled album Orion is a deeply introspective body of work. It weaves together personal heartbreak, healing, and the undeniable connection between all things: Nature, love, and the evolution of self. The South Jersey-born, Los Angeles-based artist is known for her ability to channel her raw emotions into her music. Following her critically acclaimed projects Hold Space for Me (2020) and Getaway (2022), Orion feels like a culmination of her journey. On the record, vulnerability meets healing, and compassionate connectivity threads through every lyric and note.
Journey Through and To the Self
Heartbreak, self-doubt, and bittersweet processes of growth – Orion explores difficult emotions life throws at us. For Orion Sun, music is a way of processing that. “I was in search of medicine but I couldn’t find what I wanted to hear. So, I had to write the kind of music that would have helped me. In the end, this helped me to push past difficult emotions”, she says. “Art to me is a tool.” Music offers not only comfort to the artist herself but also to others navigating their struggles.
“Already Gone” reflects Orion Sun’s ability to turn emotional devastation into art. The album opener captures the raw pain of heartbreak. “I was so distraught while writing that,” she remembers. “In retrospect, it is kind of insane that I don’t feel that way anymore, you know? Because in that moment, I thought I’m never gonna feel happiness ever again in my life.” Even the deepest pain fades eventually leaving behind a sense of wonder at the journey itself and the impermanence of emotion. “There’s magic in that kind of ending of emotion, too. It really did take a miracle for me to get to that point. Now it is like water all off a duck’s back and a beautiful lesson,” Orion Sun says.
Healing Nature
Throughout Orion, the theme of connection is ever-present, not just in terms of relationships but also in the way Orion Sun sees herself in relation to the world. The natural world serves as a metaphor for cycles of growth and healing. Nature imagery is scattered across the album, with references to the moon, the sun, and landscapes that feel both majestic and grounding.
Photo by Eric Johnson
“Earth is my favorite muse. And we’re a part of it too. As a Black woman I felt like nature always looked out for me. And so, it’ll always be reflected in what I do, whether it’s literally, like my name, or some lyrics that are literally nature-esque. In the essence of it, too, nature reminds you to pause. I hope my music reminds you to just take a deep breath like nature reminds you about the small things or validates how you feel.”
Inner Child
Orion‘s philosophy is rooted in her belief that the world and nature offer endless insights. “I think the world shows you everything that you could be. It’s up to you then to choose whether you still want to be yourself,” she says. “And I think I found the latter. I found me bleeding in the cold—metaphorically, obviously—but I nursed her back to life.”
This idea of rediscovering herself, not as a single, static version but as an amalgamation of every version of herself over time, permeates the album. “It’s weird because it’s like, okay, let’s put an image to it, right? Like your inner child? No! It’s every age at once—you know, every version of me at once. I found her again.” Orion captures this reunion, where past selves meet present growth, all entwined in the larger story of her life.
Poetry and Bluntness
Sonically, Orion Sun sticks to her signature blend of alt-R&B and warm analog textures. The poetic lyricism envelops the listener in a world that feels both intimately personal and universally resonant. The emotional ebbs and flows of the poetry are mirrored in each song. The stripped-back “Take My Eyes” encapsulates vulnerability while the hazy and mellow “Sweet” reminds of dreamlike indulgence. Yet, there is a bluntness to Orion Sun‘s poetry like in “When I Was In Love” and “Gannie”, which are inspired by personal experiences.
“There’s no fluff in anything that I write, mainly because I’m a Black queer woman. Like you can’t make this shit up.”
“Sometimes it’s just nice to hear it blunt. Sometimes it’s nice to kind of wrap it in poetry to make it easier to swallow,” the artist says. This duality—bluntness wrapped in poetic beauty— allows feel the raw emotions being soothed by the sonic artistry itself.
An Archive of Experiences and Emotions
Orion builds on Orion Sun‘s last studio album Hold Space For Me forming part of what Orion calls an “ever-growing archive” of experiences and emotions. Even though she didn’t set out to build a canonical discography, the themes of love visited on Hold Space For Me were the first steps taken in a direction past Orion didn’t yet know the destination for. Now, they find more concrete explorations. “This new record is a jumping point off the last one. I wanted to tell a story that would be its extension. On Hold Space For Me, I end on the song ‘Birds Gave Up’. Orion opens with the lyrics ‘When I was in love, the birds sang to us, only us'”, Orion says.
Photo by Linus Johnson
Orion Sun describes discovering the connectivity of her works as healing, almost like a pat on the shoulder of her past self saying: We’re doing pretty great. Still searching but each step is firmer than the last. “In the past, I thought my life was enough in terms of concept. But as you grow as an artist, you get to understand more. In terms of, why am I doing the things I do? I wanted this album to be a part of that awesome archive, but also be something if I need it, it’s right there.” In this way, Orion feels like both a personal healing tool and a gift to her listeners—a space to reflect, feel, and heal.
A feat best illustrated by Orion’s deeper dissections of different forms of love. On “Mary Jane”, for example, the singer-songwriter questions habitual coping mechanisms for emotional ups and downs, reflecting on themes of self-love and finding balance in life. “These Days”, on the other hand, centers on the resurfacing of a past partner, just as life seemed to get back on track again. The inner turmoil arising from this new circumstance encompasses a cocktail of opposing feelings and emotions, ranging from confusion and insecurity to determination and self-assuredness. “At the end of the day, the love never goes away”, Orion tells me about the story of “These Days”.”The most impossible things you can think of, love can do, you know? And so, it’ll never be this, ‘F* you!’ because at the end of the day, we share that love.”
Taking Up Space
The album also touches on legacy and honoring those who came before us. “Gannie”, a song dedicated to her grandmother, recalls connections that stretch across generations. Orion Sun has always been deeply reflective, and on Orion, this reflection takes on a cosmic scope. Drawing inspiration from Nicolas Poussin’s painting “Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun”, the artist aligns herself with the mythological hunter, journeying through darkness in search of light. A powerful metaphor for the journey of self-discovery and healing that this album represents.
“I only have this one life and I want to leave something behind. Something really fire. At the very least, I’m doing it for the archive, man. That helped me feel more free. Like, I’m here, I’m taking up space and it feels good to be here.”
In the end, Orion is an album about love in all its forms—romantic, familial, self-love, and love for the world around us. It’s about the healing power of art, the magic of moving through difficult emotions, and the deep connections that tie us all together. As Orion Sun puts it, “Every time I release art about love, talk about love, or share and show love, I get close to some answer to some question that I don’t even know yet.” With Orion, Orion Sun offers us a chance to search for that answer alongside her.
Orion is out now via Mom+Pop. Stay up to date with Orion Sun via her Instagram and website.