Savage The Girl wades through her flaws in search of understanding on 'The Reason is Fine'

Self-taught producer, rapper and songwriter, Savage the Girl, is back after a hiatus with her newest single ‘The Reason is Fine’. We last heard from the Melbourne native in collaboration with Sydney producer Scruffs on 'Wonderful Day' and on 'Savage: Vibes', the 2019 collaborative project with Naté Vibrations. This time, she gifts us a heady, self-produced track that belongs right in the UK neo soul scene.

Immediately, the track is moody and moving, just sustained chords played on a distorted piano. Then, a bassline and filtered-out D&B drums hit us as the verse starts. The first line, "I can’t lie, I messed up, I can’t hide it on the regular”, introduces us to a girl who has no interest in hiding her faults. She’s looking for guidance and solace: “My mind’s polluted with intrusive thoughts, when is it due to stop?” She’s also looking for companionship; she’s sincere when she asks, “got a lot of enemies, won’t you be friends with me, please”.

In the pre-chorus, Savage sings “I swear I’m not emo I just kinda wanna die, half of the time”: her emotions are serious and she wants them to be taken seriously. That said, there’s a startling nonchalance with which she refers to her pain. The hook “I know the reason… it’s fine” is delivered with panned backing vocals, creating a lush chorus that stands out from the rest of the track, even as the beat keeps pace with the verse.

The second verse lays bare all of Savage’s needs. She’s “stuck in a cycle, repeating, repeating” and needs some “warmth and healing”. She’s convinced there’s something out there healing her, though, she just needs to “keep holding on, and on and on”. She places her faith in the universe, seemingly of the opinion that good things come to those who wait.

Fans of Greentea Peng, Lava La Rue and Jorja Smith, I implore you to check out this track. There’s also a stunning visual up on YouTube. Judging from Savage the Girl’s Instagram, there’s more music on the way, so keep an eye and ear out so that you can say you were here first.

Photos by @st.sav4ge

Words by Portia Brajkovic