Music is such a delicate space in the entertainment industry because it’s often one where you can’t always separate the artist from the art. It’s too personal. It’s too real, even if there are albums like Taylor Swift’s folklore that are certainly more detached. It’s impossible not to feel the raw pain or dreamy daze that the artists weave into those mastered tracks. Because of this, I don’t ever dive into music criticism, but instead, I sit with it when I can. I just listen. I don’t even want to know who the song is about or what inspired it. I just want the story, and in more ways than one, that’s what we get with Simone Ashley’s Songs I Wrote in New York.
Ultimately, those of us who are fans of her from Bridgerton know by now that she has a lovely singing voice, so it’s incredible to finally get some sort of EP that’s all hers because the last time we got music was in The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland.
Ashley has a soft, classic voice, making all her music sound a little whimsical and nostalgic. There’s a sweetness in the melody that makes the lyrics she’s singing a lot more wistful. It’s a short EP, six songs spanning across twenty-two minutes, and it’s one worth listening to, especially if you’re feeling a little nostalgic.
More importantly, what’s great is that after talking about it, Ashley has finally released it, and in a lot of interesting ways, it has the same effect that Hilary Duff’s luck…or something does. It’s music that can add a little joy and a whole lot of light to our day because it’s dreamy and full of warmth. “Moving On” is personally the winning track for me, and then there’s “Free” and “Tragic Romantic” that are hitting right in the feels.
Have you listened to Simone Ashley’s Songs I Wrote in New York EP? What are your favorite tracks? Let us know in the comments below.