After releasing consecutive albums titled Fine But Dying and Bad Vacation, one can expect to take the name of Liza Anne’s third record, Utopian, as being at least a bit ironic. But while the record openly deals in trauma and loss, the early singles not only hint at its narrative speaking to such difficult times in the past tense, but the music itself suggesting joy—whether through the new-wavey spaciousness of “Sentimental” or the arty tones of “Rainbow Sweater.”
Along with announcing that third LP today, Liza Anne is also sharing their third single, “Shania Twain Is Making Me Cry,” which replicates its predecessors’ karaoke charm and ’80s callbacks while adding a slight pop-country twang implied by its title’s namesake. Meanwhile, the lyrics address heartbreak from the perspective of someone who’s moved on and can see the humor in their temporary state of vulnerability—the type of vulnerability that makes every pop song feel custom written for the specific emotional scenario you’re attempting to maneuver.
“I wanted to lean into the theater and camp-ness of the feeling that came from that almost caricatured processing of grief,” the songwriter shares. “That unified sadness we all recognize in ourselves when our lives are thrown up and we wonder where everything is going to land. We’re looking for a mirror back of our own experience all of the time and when you’re going through the loneliness of a break up everything feels like a sign.”
Check out the Paloma Gil–directed video for the new track below—which sees Liza Anne dressed the part of the Shania fan—and expect Utopian out November 3 via Antifragile Music.
