NEP BALANCES SENTIMENTALITY AND AUTHENTICITY IN ‘FLORIDA GIRL’
In quintessential Nep fashion, the creative singer-songwriter combines elements of authenticity, upbeat folksy guitar, and fun lyricism in her newest single “Florida Girl.” With cheeky humor and an ever-relatable, bittersweet connection towards hometowns shaping who we are, “Florida Girl” is sure to be a quick playlist add.
Nep’s discography typically breaks norms in music, adding her own quirks to the crafting of her art. Whether it's the concurrent storytelling in “Milk Town / Mr. Carter” or the metaphors sprinkled throughout “Cotton Tail,” she never fails to incorporate her own interpretations of what music should look like into her work. “Florida Girl” is no exception; the verses are split in a rapid fire dialogue between Nep and her backing vocals, pushing the song along and revealing more and more about her Florida experiences in a unique, lively manner.
No Nep song is complete without her folksy edge. “Florida Girl” combines the cinematic, pop-indie sounds and production with a foreground highlighted with folksy guitars and bluegrass-inspired beats. The uplifting tone of the song, despite addressing the good and bad parts of her experiences in Florida, lends to establishing a tangible atmosphere of growing up in Nep’s hometown.
Lyrically, the song is an expression of appreciation for early life experiences that your hometown provides for you, ultimately shaping you into an actualized individual later in life. Her lyricism paints a vivid picture of Florida: “Big old trucks, Christmas, Daytona / Bright red boots, cracked teeth / I'm home again,” allowing the listener to be encapsulated by the nostalgic glimpses of Nep’s hometown. Playing off the “Florida Man,” joke, Nep twists the pop culture reference into a personal proclamation of resilience, singing throughout the song, “You can never break a Florida girl!”
As the final track on her newest LP, Noelle, “Florida Girl” concludes the collage of the intimate inner workings of Nep’s mind wrapped in a bubblegum-pop, folksy package. The song is a homage to the place that shaped her, while looking towards the future of leaving Florida behind and starting anew. Balancing Nep’s sentimentality for Florida with an ambitious outlook towards post-hometown life, Noelle wraps up beautifully with “Florida Girl.”
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