Leanna Firestone just released her newest EP, entitled “Public Displays of Affection” and as BGSU Her Campus’s resident Leanna Firestone fan, I of course have to review it! The EP includes five songs, one of which had already been released as a lead single. The other four had been teased on TikTok but had not been released in full until now. As the EP’s title may imply, this project takes a turn from Leanna’s usual heartbreaking content to explore the joy of true, healthy love after the pains of past heartache. In comparison to her last release, “Forward / Slash”, this EP is like following up “Red” with “Lover” and I’m honestly very much here for it. So whether you’re swooning in love yourself or trying to remember that romance is obtainable, settle in and check out the newest from the brilliant Leanna Firestone.
You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much
As “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much” was the lead single for this EP, I’ve already had the chance to listen to it quite a few times. This song kind of serves as the beginning of the story the EP is telling and is lyrically the saddest on the project, addressing the loss of a relationship. And yet, it finds the balance that allows it to flow with the rest of the songs in two ways. First, “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much” looks at the loss of a relationship with resignation and acceptance rather than overt sadness. And second, while the original teaser Leanna posted on TikTok for this song was slow and acoustic, the final product is rhythmic and boppy. Coupled with gorgeous harmonies and echoes, “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much” serves as the perfect opener for the EP.
Reincarnation
Following the narrative laid out by “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much”, “Reincarnation” explores the loss of past love, but also the process of actively moving on and healing after losing someone that you may have once seen as the love of your life. This song is, in my opinion, the most musically gorgeous on the EP. Similarly to the previous song, “Reincarnation” uses echoes to create harmony, giving the song an angelic, almost a capella-esque feel that centers you around the lyrics as well as the melody.
Love of My Life
Taking a much more optimistic approach than Harry Styles’s “Love of my Life”, this third track, situated directly in the middle of the EP, appropriately acts as the core of the storyline. In this song, Leanna sings about finding a love that makes you understand what love is supposed to feel like and that makes your previous heartbreak feel like a blessing. The idea of someone who loves us for the “flaws” our past relationships made us feel bad about is something that all of us want, making this song, in my opinion at least, the most dreamy and hopeful. Overall, the song itself ties together the first two halves of the EP, not only by showing the stage of actively moving on from past love but also in the lyrics themselves. In traditional Leanna fashion, “Love of my Life” references past songs, in particular, “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much”, which opened the EP. Similar callbacks can be seen in other previous releases and in other songs on “Public Displays of Affection” such as “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much” and “Right Person, Right Time”.
God and The Government
This song’s one for all the cynics who are hopeless romantics at heart. The lyrics tell a story of the picture-perfect future that you never thought you’d want until you find the right person who makes you see what everyone else is always talking about when it comes to love. Of course, my instinct is to always harken back to Taylor Swift so to me, this song feels like the “Paper Rings” of the EP, dreaming about the future with the person you love, even with all the messiness that could come with said future.
Right Person, Right Time
This may be a niche reference, but when I listen to “Right Person, Right Time”, I can’t help but be reminded of “I Knew” by Lizzy McAlpine. Not only do the two songs have similar chords and melodies at their core, but they also have very similar vibes lyrically of that moment you know you’ve found love. “Right Person, Right Time” just takes a happier approach to this idea. Serving as the perfect closer for the EP, this final song ties us back to the EP’s opener, going from “You weren’t the right person at the wrong time / You just didn’t like me that much” to “‘Cause you’re the right person so it’s the right time”. In the end, “Right Person, Right Time” wraps this newest release on an undeniably happy, hopeful note that leaves me excited for whatever Leanna will do next.