Hollywood Records

Release Date: April 2nd 2021

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

Olivia Holt– love on you. (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. love on you.

Sometimes an artist just hits you out of nowhere, with a discography so catchy, energetic, infectious and potent that you can’t help but be proud and inspired. I guess that’s the best type of ‘new’ artist there is- when you immediately find a singer and a performer and an entertainer that entertains, but speaks to your soul as well. And as I was perusing through Youtube the other month, one such artist jumped out at me. A young star who has had her start in Disney (like other well known stars like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, and now defuct sibling pop group Everlife); Olivia Holt has recorded plenty of songs and given us many inspiring hits (view her discography on Apple Music here!). However it was only in this past few months that I have had the pleasure of being introduced to Olivia’s music- and boy is it super fun and extremely boppy. Similar in style to Sabrina Carpenter and Hailee Steinfeld; we are met with a young artist who is extremely confident in her craft, as she shows us that there is no limit on how young you are when you start chasing your dreams.

I get inspired from everything in life, whether it’s something that I experienced or something that I want to experience.  I get a lot of inspiration from traveling even though this year I wasn’t able to travel at all, so it’s been about finding more inspiration elsewhere — but everything just sort of falls in line with my life.

It’s definitely strange, especially not being able to perform, having that human connection is very important for me as a whole. Not being able to do that during the pandemic has been really challenging, but just trying to shift my perspective and be grateful for the people that are streaming and listening to it now and one day hopefully we will be able to do it together.

I think it’s about building a community and making sure that people feel that they’re not alone, we’re all in this together. Music is about bringing people together. I think it’s very important to be a part of that experience for people.

Over 530M combined streams, 9M+ social followers, a #1 dance hit (“Generous”), a GOLD single (“History”) and that’s just the beginning.   In 2016, Olivia Holt released her eponymous EP, OLIVIA, which debuted #19 on Billboard’s New Artist chart, hit top 40 on Billboard’s Pop chart and drew critical acclaim from The Fader, Idolater, Entertainment Weekly and TeenVogue. Olivia has also been featured on tracks by some of today’s most electrifying producers/DJs including Martin Jensen, R3HAB, Nicky Romero and Banx & Ranx.

Maintaining a deft balancing act with a successful acting career (Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger; upcoming Cruel Summer for Freeform) and a Global Brand Ambassadorship with Neutrogena, Olivia is at her most authentic when it comes to music.

The other day I wanted to find a good quote from Olivia about her music- and came across this press release instead, which said everything I wanted to say but in a better way. So as I quote this article verbatim, let me just say that Olivia’s latest material is a blast and a ball of fun- and if her presumed 2021 debut full length album is anything to go by, then Olivia Holt will go extremely far. While we as a site reviewed the singles “love u again”, “talk me out of it” and “Do You Miss Me”; “love on you.”, slightly more vulnerable and emotional, is Olivia’s next single, and an electronic/pop song that delves into the ins and outs of breakups, and the healing that can come from ridding yourself of negative people in your life. Oliva eloquently relays that she has wasted her love on her ex, but then declares that she wouldn’t change it; and this reminds me of the fact that any situation, whether good or bad, can be used by God for His glory and our good. Why would we erase the bad moments when it grows our character? Something to ponder about as we analyse a pop song that perhaps doesn’t need to be analysed this much!

Olivia Holt’s music is predominately about relationships and the feelings of happiness, frustration, joy and sadness that go along with them. But for us single people, inclusive of myself, let’s not let subject matter that we can’t fully relate to yet, ruin our enjoyment of these songs. Because Olivia is indeed a star in the making- and as we are immersed in these songs that speak to us about the human condition, and wanting to be the best that there is, especially in the romance department; let us remember that being human means feeling the hurt along with the joy, the disappointment and sadness along with the happiness. And once we accept this, we can indeed love again, we can be talked out of playing it safe in life, and we can be able to miss someone yet still be ready to move on. And with Olivia slated for a debut album this year, as well as already headlining the mystery series Cruel Summer– why don’t we all hold our breath with anticipation, and marvel and how talented this young woman is- in acting and in singing? Well done Olivia for these poignant songs, I can’t wait to her what’s next in store for you in 2021!

Score: 4/5

RIYL: Everlife, Sofia Carson, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Little Mix