Don't Kill My Vibe | Sigrid

First impressions are everything, especially for new artists. Just ask Sigrid.

The 21-year-old singer-songwriter's debuts single, "Don't Kill My Vibe," struck a chord with streaming audiences; It raced up the trending charts and racked up millions of plays across online platforms. Popular as it may have been, though, the low-voltage track was less than thrilling for those of us who expect our favorite bangers, well, to go somewhere. (Sure, it's badass and very much cool, but it doesn't quite reach the explosive highs that its verses and gradual build-up imply it will.)

Having given Sigrid the cold shoulder after a lukewarm introduction, I hadn't a clue what else could be found on the extended play of the same name as the polarizing single. And that's a shame, because the four-track outing otherwise reveals Sigrid's stunning potential.

Her voice is both musky and feminine. It grows charmingly hoarse as she builds in volume, like when she yells out the end of her prechoruses on "Plot Twist" and "Fake Friends" and triggers some ear-catching choruses – and man, as it turns out, she actually does have quite a knack for chorus-crafting. On this short but spectacular extended play, they range from headstrong ("Plot Twist") to tear-jerking (the acoustic "Dynamite," which reveals a smoother, operatic side to Sigrid).

While dressed to the nines in sharp pop magic, her songs are first and foremost melodically driven: a fact that the extended play's sole acoustic track proves. The affinity for strong musical cores gives her tracks an advantage over the thousands out there from artists of a similar caliber. But of course, her voice, self-assured personality, and stellar production choices only make me feel worse for having not allowed her to reintroduce herself to my ears sooner.

Don't Kill My Vibe is available now under Island Records.