Review: Memoir of a Sparklemuffin
Above: MEMOIR OF A SPARKLEMUFFIN: The official album cover for “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin,” released Sept. 13, shows singer-songwriter Suki Waterhouse sitting in a sparkly forest. The album's various genres led listeners through a journey of her self-reflection. “Comparing her most famous song ‘Good Looking’ to her recently released album, the lyricism for most of the songs were sub-par,” iliad Editor-in-Chief Olivia Hendershot wrote.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, released on September 13, debuts as singer-songwriter Suki Waterhouse's second album since releasing “I Can't Let Go” in 2022.
Singer-songwriter Alice Suki Waterhouse, known professionally as Suki Waterhouse, released her second studio album, “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin” on September 13. Listeners can prepare to be captivated by the plethora of song variety throughout the album but will be nauseated by the lack of substance in the lyrics.
Waterhouse’s sub-par songs venture through angsty themes of love and self-reflection on her life, and mention of her newborn daughter. Although the album’s lyrics are driven by modern-day mellow drama, the otherworldly, dreamlike instrumentals greatly impact each piece.
Songs like “OMG”, “Gateway Drug”, and “SuperSad” ignite a fusion of lyricism and instrumentals, reminding listeners of why the 2022 hit song “Good Looking” hit social media apps like TikTok with a bang.
Contrarily, the album has an emotional tone as it ventures through rough patches of a person's young adult lifetime giving listeners dramatic lyrics such as, “I'm mentally ill and that's why you date me,” from the song, “Everybody Breaks Up Anyway.” This kind of lyricism, also featured in the song “Nonchalant,” disrupts the musician's powerful instrumentals, trying to gear the songs to stereotypical teenage audiences.
“Memoir of a Sparklemuffin” uses phrases such as “gateway drug” and “blackout drunk” as a metaphor for pining over a person and toxic relationships. This kind of pop genre romanticizes destructive behavior that listeners should be cautious of before diving in.
Despite this, Waterhouse's melodious voice is thoughtfully executed in the calmer songs such as “Lullaby” and “Model, Actress, Whatever,” as she delves into deeper topics of her reflecting on her young adulthood and her bond with her daughter.
For those looking for a balance of upbeat, lowbeat and an angsty, melodramatic album, these 18 songs curated by Waterhouse, have it all.
Overall, “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin” follows Waterhouse's personal experience with love, lust and motherhood with its inconsistent strength in lyrics but phenomenal use of background instrumentals.
Story By Olivia Hendershot
Olivia Hendershot is a senior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. She serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the iliad literary-art magazine. Hendershot hopes to expand iliads outreach as well as make positive improvements to the program. In her free time, she likes listening to music, sketching/painting and hanging out with friends.