As a recent high school graduate, Bright Red by Holdan reminds me of the few parties and multiple dances I went to throughout my four years.
It has a gentleness blended with a pop/electronic feel that conveys an emotional, yet carefree energy that teenage social events tend to have. It’s entertainment that provides a kind of reckless catharsis reflected in the personal lyrics and rapid beat of this single. Holdan does an excellent job of combining punk rock and typical pop into one musically complex work. I really enjoyed the relatability and experimental element of this work and it makes me feel compelled to listen to more of his work. For listeners curious about Holdan’s take on this song, he says, Holdan says on the song, "I would go to all of these house parties and I would be the one in the middle of of everyone dancing just jumping screaming and losing my shit, and you either loved that or you hated it. It reminds me of my whole past because I’ve been loud and insane my whole life and everyone’s kinda looked down on me or thought I was weird because of it, and I try to not worry about it but I go back and forth between not giving a fuck what they think, but also to only focusing on what they think of me. So the song is just kind of depicting the mental battle I struggle with throughout every day."
At only fifteen years old, Holdan left his home of Florida to go to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. After drumming for multiple up-and-coming bands in L.A., he caught the attention of famous producer Josh ‘Igloo’ Monroy for his production and songwriting skills. He released his debut single, Foggy Lake, earlier this year, which got attention from Noah Cyrus, and plans to release his first EP sometime in the near future.
Written by Tatum Jenkins
Edited by Hannah Schneider