saturn 17 “not my fault”

It isn’t the first time saturn 17 tackles the bittersweet of love and relationship in their music, but they are certainly evolving. What surprises listeners is the variety of moods and emotions that the creative duo were able to tap into within an intimate subject, which is quite rare to see even among established artists. “Not My Fault” is the heartache and tears from crushing on someone who can’t return your love. The nuanced track brought back a nostalgic touch from the 80s, combined with their indie pop phantom.

Compare to their past releases, “Not My Fault” feels like an expansion sonically and emotionally. Shedding the angsty rocker’s edge, it seems like saturn 17 is allowing themselves to float and become a feather drifting in an impressionistic soundscape. The drum track in the background almost feels ritualistic. The sonics and the vocals, on the other hand, are like the raging fire, lighting up the sky. There’s so much tension and power going into the two as they intertwine and become inseparable.

The vocals are being highlighted and pushed to the forefront in a confessional, almost confrontational manner in this track. The way the lyrics hit in “No My Fault” feels like waves of heartache mixed in a strawberry romance. There’s a bit of starry eyes and out-of-control feeling in there too, like the race of heartbeat and the dizziness when you come closer. Halsey Bousquet’s vocal feels like a lingering, intense kiss with all the emotions, longings, heartache in her expression. It’s an experience that quite unlike others.

It’s really interesting how Nika Fezeli and Halsey Bousquet, the two artists from saturn 17 push each other in the creative process. “Not My Fault” definitely feels like a daring, fascinating adventure on top of their established modern dream-pop sound. In doing so, they seem to have unlocked a brand new vibration of sonic palette and nuanced expression.