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Over the past couple of years, Australian based pop artist Molly Millington has been creating quite the hype online, as she attracts music fans with her fresh and energising vibe. This November, Molly released her debut EP, 5 Stages, which marks a significant and exciting new chapter for the emerging artist.
Debut’s regardless whether it is a an EP or a full length are a way any artist to embrace their identity and share their vision with the world, and for us music fans its our opportunity to open our eyes to the talent that exists out there - the start of a very beautiful and powerful connection. So I was only too happy to give 5 Stages a spin myself.
The EP begins with opening track Foreign Accent, and it is such a heart warming, which is so honest and genuine, and is like an overflow of love that flows and flows throughout. I really love the infectious goodness packed into the DNA of the song, such as the very easy to sing-a-long chorus ‘I don’t know what I am doing on this set, but your saying all the things you never meant and now all I want to do is be your Juliet, everything sounds better in a foreign accent’. For a moment it feels like I am not listening to an up and coming artist, but to someone who has unlocked her potential and is just getting stronger and stronger. This is the type of song, even if you have not heard any of Molly Millington’s music before, will grab your attention in a heart beat!
We then move onto Me And My Denial, the EP’s second track, and I think what appeals most to me about this track is how relatable it is, as it focuses on a type of vulnerability we all have some understanding on - self insecurities especially when it comes to matters of the heart. For example I was listening to the lines ‘I always let it ring, its my favourite sound, I’m only gonna let him down, down, down down, I don’t want to talk about it right now, I don’t want to work it out, I just want to go home’, and when I heard that I thought hang on, there have been moments or in a relationship be that a friendship or more where I have felt that. That sense I guess of feeling overwhelmed which is so easy to assume we are the only ones who ever feel that, so hearing it expressed through a song like Me And My Denial is so cathartic to hear. That thing I was saying about having a powerful connection, this is the very essence of what that manifestation looks like right here.
If your in the mood for something with a good beat, pure energy, and brilliant song where you can really feel that fire growing within, then 380 is a good choice, and just like the other tracks on this EP the song writing is so wholesome and pure, and I like how it speaks to the mind, but in a way which calls upon us to be proactive in life, not just been an onlooker doing nothing. For example ‘...if that don’t make you angry then what will, how much more blood must be spilled, before you do something, how can you watch, watch from a distance, how can you turn your back on the children, change the channel when it comes on, and claim it’s not your problem’. The problem in society is that sometimes people are too used to only wanting to focus on the nicey nicey things of life, and anything that takes them away from that just doesn’t come on to their radar. We speak of a compassionate world, but in reality it is fragmented, so it takes someone with the confidence of Molly Millngton to kind of give us that push to open our eyes, and 380 is the perfect representation of that, so credit to her for opening that door to help us be more involved and mindful of those important conversations happening around us.
After such a impactful song, I then move onto June, which has it’s own sense of impact to it. Lyrically there is whole hearted emotion to it, especially as it touches on the subject of love and that situation where the other person does the classic, it’s not me it’s you. The emotions that come with that can cause our minds to feel tender, but what Molly Millington allows us to do is realise that we are also valid to feel like that too. It’s just about truthful with ourselves, and being truthful about a very shitty situation, but unpacking it all within our mind in such a poetic way. When a song has the power to do that it makes it feels like the start of a healing process. I will give you an example, ‘you feel good inside until the clouds went dark and all the flowers have died, gas on the flame, we like to complain that nothing is ever good enough, they feel bad so fast and it’s strange how quick everything has changed’. Everything about that verse is filled with raw vulnerability, which is what makes the song so special to listen to.
That vulnerability continues into the following track, Bleach as well, and oh my goodness the way that Molly has written this song, just made me feel so emotional, but it’s also something which you are able to take that brave step forward to not let anyone keep you in that place of sadness. One of my favourite lines is ‘go fuck yourself, I know your going home to somebody else, I know your kind and if i wanted to I could easily earn my stripes, you made a dreamer a bitter realist, overly trusting to over cautious, i move the furniture against the door, now your not welcome here anymore’. When I hear a lyric like this it just makes me realise that even in our saddest moments, when it feels like our spark has been taken away, those are also the moments where we find our strength when we need it the most too.
After a phenomenally breathtaking collection of moving and powerful songs, the EP comes to a close with the final track Healing, where in some respects it feels having experienced a richness of varied emotions, thoughts and feelings, we have come full circle, whereby the truthfulness of Molly’s songwriting, is also her unifying strength. With lyrics such as ‘I pull myself together, just to fall together on your drive way, thought you would choose me but you didn’t, that’s when I learnt love’s ruthless, my heart, my soul was always yours for the taking’ you cannot help feel a huge level of respect as someone who shows us the true meaning of what it means to wear our hearts on our sleeve, and amply the voices of some of the scars that exist within.
Having listened to every single track of 5 Stages, it has made me realise we need more people in this world like Molly Millington, because this EP speaks volumes about the ability to give us music fans the ability to feel happiness,. strength, vulnerability and self-control all at the same time. This EP allowed me to recognise so many similar aspects within my own life, which makes me not only feel like I am experiencing a heart to heart with Molly Millington, but also having that reflective honesty about the feelings I have experienced in my own life as well.
With this EP really impressing me and touching me, I felt that I couldn't leave things there, so had the pleasure of speaking to Molly herself.
Were there any moments on the EP which gave you the biggest satisfaction and made you smile?
Molly: When I say “go fuck yourself” in ‘Bleach’ lol
How has music or creativity helped you to embrace your individuality?
Molly: I’ve been creative my whole life and if I didn’t have these outlets (music and fashion) I’d feel quite empty and very shut off.
As you step forward into your next chapter, what are you looking forward to the most?
Molly: I’m most looking forward to the reinvention of my music and not even by the slightest putting myself into any box.
With Molly’s music, very much speaking for itself, I have a good feeling that 5 Stages is the beginning of something special, and with 2024 just around the corner, the possibilities of her constant growth are endless. Available on all major platforms, 5 Stages is available now.
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Article By Thushara Chandrasiri
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