Dodie is a Hot Mess in her new EP in the best way possible

Graphic by Lily Hartenstein

By Minna Abdel-Gawad

Last Friday, English indie-pop artist dodie released her fourth EP, Hot Mess. Following her debut album, Build A Problem (2021), dodie goes in a different direction with the EP, experimenting with both sound and aesthetic. 

The first two tracks, “Hot Mess” and “Got Weird,” feel reminiscent of dodie’s previous releases. The title track has a strong beat accompanied by the singer's trademark dreamy voice, heavenly layered backing vocals and beautiful strings. Over the past 5 years, dodie has been experimenting with instrumentation and has found her niche working with an orchestra, melding modern sounds with classical music techniques. While “Hot Mess” is similar to songs like “Boys Like You” and “Hate Myself,” it brings a new perspective to the singer's discography in the way it builds and the complexity of the vocals. This EP feels like dodie is taking all she has learnt from her debut album, truly finding her stride and refining her sound. 

“Hot Mess” details the growing pains that accompany entering your twenties and the growth and self discovery you go through. In the bridge there is a repetition of the lyric “Let me let go” paired with a build of the instrumentation. The repetition of “Let me let go” being the climax of the song before the instrumentation falls away absolutely captures the “Hot Mess” of your 20’s. For dodie’s two million subscribers, “Hot Mess” was released in January as a demo via her YouTube channel. Seeing how the song grew from a guitar and clarinet arrangement into the piece it is today is one of the many reasons fans love dodie. She lets viewers into the world of her creations and they are able to see the growth and development of her projects first hand. 

The second track “Got Weird” feels like the older sister of fan favorite and deep cut, “In The Middle.” Released on the singer's 2017 EP You, dodie has yet to release something with similar energy. “Got Weird” perfectly encapsulates the chaos and yearning of “In The Middle” with her developed sound, more mature lyricism and dynamic instrumentation. “Got Weird” is a groovy bop that discusses hookup culture and sexually awkward situations. Dodie’s candid lyrics make listeres feel they are talking to a friend about their last hookup as she sets the scene “Table for two that’s all sorted” and details “Why do karma and girls love to bite me?” Something about the candor in these lyrics makes listeners feel they are sitting on the couch and catching up with her talking late into the night.  

The final two tracks, “Lonely Bones” and “No Big Deal (I Love You),” feel entirely new for dodie. “Lonely Bones” is a unique take on a traditional 4/4 dance song. The plucky guitar piece feels reminiscent of a folk song. Accompanied by the bridge, which features voices singing “la’s” and clapping at the end of each measure, transports listeners to a ballroom of sorts. The bridge takes inspiration from a traditional waltz which juxtaposes the solitude and aching loneliness dodie explores in her lyricism. Making this track a perfect balance of unique instrumentation and harrowing lyrics. 

“No Big Deal (I Love You)” on the other hand is a sad piano ballad that showcases the singer's vocal range and storytelling abilities. dodie paints an emotionally draining picture while describing a situationship that many people are all too familiar with. She describes a scenario where one member feels so deeply for the other, whilst the other is hard to read and the words “I love you” are just too heavy. The closing track feels like a plea to both herself and her partner hoping that it truly will be “no big deal.” This song dissects the “cool girl” complex where women are expected to “do this dance/ for the rest of my life for as long as you want” and treat these mixed signals as “no big deal.” 
Hot Mess is a short four song collection and experimental EP that serves as a perfect transition between dodie's debut album and any following releases. It is a true showcase of all that the artist has grown to become and displays her range from pop bops to piano ballads and all that is in between.