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Mar 03, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Gaelle Leroyer

Twenty-year-old Toronto singer/songwriter Charlie Houston, fresh out of her own teenage years, makes music for the teen inside all of us. “I just want my songs to be super authentic and address shit that all young people deal with,” She says. Her debut EP I Hate Spring casts back to timeless memories of fumbling early romance—first kisses, messy breakups, and short-lived flirtations are all soundtracked by weightless indie pop and R&B stylings. Her lead single, “Calls” debuted in January and Houston has now returned with her newest track, “Things,” premiering early with Under the Radar.

Houston takes on another quintessential dilemma of young love with “Things,” following the difficult process of sorting through heartbreak. Houston opens the track musing, “I’ve been thinking/Is it all about the money?/Does she gotta lotta money?/Or were you thinking/All about the good sex?” Houston’s stream of consciousness lyrics as she takes stock of the relationship, guided by smooth R&B electronic percussion and moody downtempo melody. With the chorus, she reconsiders how she has changed and molded her own personality to her partner’s, singing “I just did things cause you did them too/Didn’t really want to.” As the track goes on, Houston’s smoky vocal delivery becomes distorted and pitch-shifted, made all the more effective by subtle production touches like distant brass accents. The result is raw and vulnerable, offering up an honest picture of young love and heartbreak, all accompanied by the magnetic tones of Houston’s voice.

“It’s sort of about becoming so infatuated with someone that you begin to lose sight of who you are,” Houston explains. “Also comparing yourself to the kind of person you think they want, and trying to become that.” Get an early look at the song and video, directed by Clairo and MorMor collaborator Tranquilo, below. I Hate Spring is out April 23rd via Arts & Crafts.