Bedroom pop artist Sophie Cates (known as Silver Sphere) has released her first eight-track full length album yikes!, a unique culmination of heartbreak songs. With a stage persona that’s described as not from this earth, Silver Sphere is a being of magic that has yet to come to the forefront of pop.
With songs like “drinking games” and “boys r dumb! duh!”, Silver Sphere paints a picture that makes your heart ache for her, utilizing parties as a theme to show the listener how different the guys in her life act around others versus how they act around just her. Further describing the meaning behind the song, Cates has stated:“‘Drinking Games’ to me is a song about knowing you’re wasting your time with someone but continuing to see them because the person is so captivating that you don’t even care if you’re feeling used. It’s about realizing that it’s more important to value yourself than playing a silly game with someone that doesn’t have the best intentions.”
As the album progresses, Silver starts to become more wary of the boys that keep breaking her heart, and rightfully so. This new found self discipline is shown on the song “boys in bands” which is about falling victim to the same type of boy (musicians in her case) so often that she realizes she needs to stop letting herself go down that path. Her newfound confidence and fed up attitude is shown in the lines, “The second you walk in with tattoos and problems / I can’t help but think I’m the one who could solve ‘em / I can’t do that again.” The catchy chorus and dance-able unique techno sounds make “boys in bands” a song that’s scream-able by anyone, especially Berklee students who can relate.
When it seems like she has taken a stand against the boys that waste her time, Silver backtracks to the same mentality she had previously in “drinking games” and “boys r dumb! duh!” with the song “waste my time”, the epitome of her internal struggle. Although the title maintains the heartbroken tone of the album, the sonic vibe of “waste my time” isn’t as sad as the listener would expect. This song is a romanticization of boys that are bad for you and will never commit which Silver is clear about in the beginning, saying: “You are never gonna be the type to commit / one day you’re in love then you’re over it / But I can never get tired of chasing you / Even when I know what you’re gonna do.” If you have ever read Silver’s “about” page on Spotify and not understood what “I love pop music and breaking my own heart” meant, this song makes the statement clear.
The last song “sucks 4 u” is about finally overcoming a breakup and realizing that you’re going to be okay, giving the listener closure and resolution. When describing this song, Silver explained, “Writing this song helped me look past those negative things looming from my last relationship and focus on the positives in my life at the time, and I hope it does the same for everyone listening.”
As a whole, yikes! allowed the listener to learn and grow with Silver, feeling the heartbreak, independence, and love she experienced throughout her journey.
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