Every now and again we come across a song that stops us dead in our tracks, highlighted by a lyric that feels like it can be etched on our damaged brain’s broken heart until we finally shake off this mortal coil. Today that entry comes from Juliana Madrid and her stunning SOTY contender “Afterlife,” a golden slice of bewitching alt-pop buoyed by the Dallas artist assuring us: “Hey / I’m not great but I might be alright / So kiss my perfect afterlife goodbye.”
We’re feeling that one, alright.
“In ‘Afterlife’, I am sort of flirting with the universe in hopes of getting more time,” Madrid says. “I’m often living in my own head, so I tend to get into these ruts where it feels like I’ve been putting my energy towards the wrong thing or not working hard enough or not using my time to my best advantage. Throughout the song, I attempt to understand these thoughts and try my best to find a middle ground with my own fears.”
After releasing her self-titled EP last summer, Madrid will feature “Afterlife” on a new collection of tunes released later this year via Neon Gold Records. This feels like the start of something really big, and we may have our newest breakout artist ready to spice up our increasingly-boring playlists.
We’ll likely catch up with Madrid later, either soon or in our 2023 Year in ReView. In the meantime, dive in to “Afterlife” below, and make the most of the time we have.