Each Measure Feature: Tara Perez

FEATURE

If you’re able to take the end of a toxic friendship and transform it into an upbeat, club-worthy pop banger, then you’ve already won at life.

Tara Perez’s latest single, “CRYBABY,” represents a renaissance of party music, one led by self-assured women who aren’t afraid to let go of their inhibitions.

Born in Bermuda and raised in New York City, Tara Perez draws favorable comparisons to artists like Kim Petras, Kesha, and Britney Spears, all of whom contributed to the bold and unabashedly fun-loving and feminine incarnation of electropop that’s taken the party scene by storm throughout the twenty-first century.

Like so many great pop anthems, “CRYBABY” is the epitome of organized chaos. There’s a difference between an artist who deliberately breaks rules, and an artist who simply does know the rules. Perez takes well-deserved pride in being the former. She’s well-aware of the conventions of pop music – from catchy to memorable choruses – and she uses them to speak her mind and break the boundaries of mindless conformity. With it’s fast-paced beat and energetic vocals, “CRYBABY” is a sonic rebellion, but it’s also perfectly polished with electronic textures and elevated production value. It’s a sound that evokes the glossy shine of the dancefloor and the timeless staples of the club soundscape.

But for me, what makes the track particularly compelling among the modern electropop catalogue is its satisfyingly smug attitude. Lyrically, “CRYBABY” is a character study of a spoiled, privileged woman who, in spite of her lavish lifestyle, spends most of her time whining and abusing her friends. Perez takes on the role of the browbeaten companion who’s finally had enough. Uplifted by autotuned acrobatics, her snarky and condescending tone is strangely empowering.

Overall, “CRYBABY” is the mic drop at the end of an argument – the triumphant moment of finally walking away from a toxic situation you’ve tolerated for too long.

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