REVIEW: Joshua Bassett’s lyrical simplicity is held together by strong, promising musicality in his debut EP
From Justin Timberlake to Nick Jonas, young Disney stars have always found themselves under pop culture’s spotlight — especially if the media catches a whiff of any relationship drama.
This pressure is no secret to rising actor-songwriter Joshua Bassett, who stars in the hit Disney+ series, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Despite posting EP song snippets on social media over the past two years, he’s recently had his name thrown into the spotlight following the release of his co-star (and alleged ex) Olivia Rodrigo’s record-breaking single, “drivers license.” Amid breakup rumors and media scrutiny, Bassett finally shared his artistry with the world with the release of his self-titled debut EP last Friday.
Bassett kicks off his EP on a strong note with “Sorry.” Narrating a story of a failing relationship, he opens with dramatic, impressive piano riffs, jazzy vocals and pop drums to create a unique sonic aesthetic: think noir, spy movie soundtrack meets boy band bops. As the instrumentals continue to build with more complex elements, the second half of the song loses a bit of its chills-down-your-spine magic. There’s a moment in the second verse where Bassett’s vocals distort in an EDM-esque fashion, which builds on the drama but doesn’t seem to match the track. The song was enjoyable but ended up sounding like a somewhat generic boy band song. Nonetheless, it introduces Bassett as a bold young musician and stylistically speaks to the teen heartthrob he’s become.
His second track, “Do It All Again,” dramatically slows the tempo down. Wistfully recalling a failed love, the song reads as though he’s massaging a sore wound: admitting to “the mess [he] made,” but still remaining grateful for the relationship. Acoustic, emotional and reminiscent of his first single, “Common Sense,” “Do It All Again” makes you feel like you’re walking through a field next to the ocean — reflective, nostalgic but appreciative. It’s a lovely, unique track that’s right in Bassett’s wheelhouse.
The third track and EP debut single, “Lie Lie Lie,” is pure acoustic pop. Produced with guitar-strumming elements and layered with harmonies, Bassett showcases his impressive upper vocal range and control. It’s also clear that the song draws inspiration from successful male songwriters — the song itself sounds like it could fit into a circa-2014 Ed Sheeran single or older Maroon 5 album, and the vocal technique is emulative of artists like Shawn Mendes. But don’t be fooled, despite sounding like a lighthearted, boot-stomping tune, “Lie Lie Lie” is full of teenage angst. With lyrics such as “kiss your ass goodbye,” Bassett seemingly declares resentment about someone who’s been “lying to yourself / Lie to everyone else / Only thinking about yourself.” Decently produced, fairly catchy and lyrically repetitive, this song is a little underwhelming.
Following this angsty anthem is “Only A Matter of Time,” a song that seems to address a similar situation, but with a completely different composition. In a waltz-y piano ballad, Bassett’s falsetto soars what could only be described as European-style guitar plucking and church bells to ultimately create an ominous and alluring tune. His musicality also really comes through in this track. With more sophisticated lyrics describing the pain of betrayal like “twisted your words like a knife” and “Pick myself up off the floor, you can’t hurt me / No more of this endless charade,” this dramatic, emotional style felt more heartfelt, individual and thoughtful on Bassett — something that was missing in the poppy repetition of “Lie Lie Lie.”
Previously taken by the Sabrina Carpenter duet “We Both Know,” track No. 5 is now occupied by “Telling Myself,” a catchy, head-bopping pop tune about a relationship that was doomed from the start. Telling the story now from the perspective of the heartbreaker, the song clearly draws inspiration from other pop artists. The verse’s melody is undeniably similar to Miley Cyrus’ “Prisoner,” and the song’s style itself sounds very similar to Shawn Mendes’ previous work. While an easy, enjoyable listen, it’s not particularly original.
Bassett concludes his EP with romantic piano ballad, “Heaven Is You.” There’s no better term to describe this song than teenage puppy love. Full of tender optimism and adoration for the “angel” that “fell in [his] lap,” this song’s head-over-heels attitude, hymnic R&B harmonies and borderline-campy lyrics are easily reminiscent of 1980s love ballads. It showcases Bassett’s romantic and raw side — you can tell he wrote this on the piano alone. Lyrically, it’s not doing anything new (many songs compare love to divine experiences), but it does have beautiful, unique chord progressions that seem to be a strength of Bassett’s. Bottom line, it’s a very sweet song to conclude with.
While all of Bassett’s tracks have extremely different styles, the EP holds together with consistently strong vocals and creative musicality. What comes to Bassett’s strength is his ability to create instrumentally complex tracks. He’s clearly a very talented musician who’s quite skilled in not only innovating the classic four-chord songwriter structure but also building unique sonic aesthetics.
However, he shows gaps in his lyricism. With exceptions to songs like “Sorry” and “Only A Matter of Time,” many of Bassett’s lyrics are predictable and full of repetition. While there’s absolutely no doubt that he’s an incredibly talented musician, lyrical creativity and honesty is more important than ever in modern music — just look at the success of songwriters like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles. To thrive in the current music climate, this EP could’ve benefitted by exercising more lyrical creativity instead of scrambling to find a rhyme.
Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that this Disney star has a long career ahead of himself, so this untapped potential may work to his strength in future projects.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars