Texas-born and Jersey Shore-raised, singer-songwriter Phoebe Ryan’s brand of pop is both immediate and slyly clever. Her new single, “ICIMY,” the latest in a string of recent home runs, initially presents itself as pure 1989-era Swiftian bubble gum, only to quickly undercut the listener with an unexpected guitar crash.
As the freshly bracing moment gives way to a blanket of gentle strumming, playful drums, and gliding synths, it’s easy to see: Ryan has an indelible ear for smashes. “ICIMY” – meaning ‘In Case I Miss You’ – is a flex, a testing of her running feet, as Ryan gears up for her proper debut LP in 2020.
Ryan says about the musical inspiration for “ICIMY,” “I was interested in channeling elements of Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Age of Adz’ for the album. The soundscape and the glitchy-smooth instrumentation has always stuck with me since I first heard it. I remember really wanting to tap into that for this record, and when we were working on ICIMY, I felt that spark. The electronic snap and crunch of the drums, the soft yet booming chords of the piano, all driven by a plucking guitar… somehow it reminded me of what I love about Sufjan’s work.”
The accompanying music video presents the raw emotions attached to finding and subsequently losing an important person in one’s life. It features non-binary trans actor and musician Joey Rose.