underscores – “u” review

underscores is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & producer from San Francisco, California who dropped 6 extended plays between 2015-2020 including Trust ExercisesGrawlixAir Freshener, Skin Purifying TreatmentWe Never Got Strawberry Cake & Character Development!. Her full-length debut Fishmonger would follow as would Boneyard a.k.a. Fearmonger & the sophomore effort Wallsocket, the latter 2 being widely considered as her greatest work. Coming off the Covergirl: Originally by Sonny EP in 2024 & of course producing a few tracks for Danny Brown’s 7th album Stardust this past fall though, she’s signing to Mom + Pop Records her 3rd studio LP.

“Tell Me (U Want It)” begins with a self-produced electropop, dance-pop, hyperpop, complextro & slimepunk single that she considers “Music for my iPhone spy movie” singing about direct communication in a relationship whereas “Music”blends electropop, hybrid trap, hyperpop future bass, bubblegum bass, colour bass & pop rap sampling “Gunk” off Fishmonger singing about feeling the harmony. “Hollywood Forever” issues a clear statement that she doesn’t want to be buried in the titular cemetery while “The Peace” goes a capella to talk about not speaking unless spoken to.

The late SOPHIE & Arca are both key inspirations of “Innuendo (I Get U)” confessing to part of her hope she can understand this person she’s addressing leading into “Lovefield” hypnotically mourns a type of love that was unrewarded. “Do It” combines electropop, dance-pop, contemporary R&B, complextro & electro house singing about not committing to a relationship due to the riskiness of it but once she sensss a “Bodyfeeling” she doesn’t tell her partner of, “Wish U Well” ends the album wanting nothing the best out of a woman who moved on.

Expanding the intricately high impact world continuing to be built by its own creator, Mom + Pop introduces underscores as part of their roster by presenting the most accessible entry in her entire catalog & what I’m sure will be amongst 2026’s most lauded opuses. Her songwriting’s more emotionally charged than everything she’s done previously & the electropop production culminates many different era of career. More specifically the styles of electronic dance music, dance-pop, alt-pop, future bass, bubblegum bass, hybrid trap & hyperpop.

Score: 4.5/5

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