REVIEW: Mothica - “Sensitive” Single
Paired with a badass music video, LA based alt-pop artist Mothica released “Sensitive” on March 11, the newest single off her forthcoming album NOCTURNAL. This anthemic banger taps into the cacophony of emotions that all introverts feel when placed in certain social situations.
“Sensitive” is a song about being just that. It’s an anthem for introverts, those who too often in music are relegated to side characters by default. Frankly, a song for us, by us, was long overdue, and this pop-punk rager was worth the wait.
Lyrically, Mothica excels. Her brutal honesty is what makes the song work. She delivers each line with a cheeky wink, like she’s letting us in on a secret- the self-assured, unapologetic, bad bitch rockstar that we aspire to be actually cares too much.
With to the point, punchy lyrics such as “I don't go out / I stay in bed / Overthinking in my head / It's too loud / I can't pretend / I'm not breaking down again,” Mothica recalls a scene familiar to so many of us; the pressure to be social and the impulse to isolate ourselves when the stimulation is too much. The chorus explodes: “Push me, pull me, break me, can't let go / My hands around your throat, won't leave me alone / Now I got my guard up, can't let go / Don't mean to break the skin, I'm just sensitive…”
Mothica personifies social anxiety, confessing the way that it's taking over her life-pushing her around, breaking her down, gripping her tight- this anxiety is a monster to be feared. Fitting, then, that the instrumental sounds like it was extracted from a horror movie. Mothica masterfully conveys her feelings within the soundscape, capturing fear and rage in every strum of the metal guitar and the driving dance bass drop. This song is truly bone-chilling, and the social anxieties plaguing Mothica’s life are treated with utmost seriousness, as if she is cautioning the listener of a silhouette lurking around the corner, ready to show themself at any second.
Photo by Lisselle Lariccha
When discussing the decision to utilize such an eerie soundscape, Mothica shared that she “wanted to make the most upbeat and aggressive song about being an introvert…because that’s how it feels to [her] when [she has] trouble expressing [her] emotions, sometimes it comes out as anger and frustration of being misunderstood.”
“Sensitive” expresses this anger and frustration incredibly well. Mothica manages to pull off the extremely difficult task of making a singular narrative deeply relatable. Finally, the wallflowers have a hero. This is to say, Mothica is by no means the first person to ever talk about being an introvert, or being sensitive, or having social anxiety. But she is perhaps among the most innovative. This is not a song to cry to in our room. This is a song to blast in our car. Or maybe, this banger is meant to cozy up deep in our eardrums, as we stand to the side with our headphones in, feeling everything we are unable to express.
Mothica will be opening for Coheed & Cambria and Dance Gavin Dance this summer kicking off in July. Click here for tour dates & more information.
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