CAROLINE ROMANO’S “Body Bag” TRACK REVIEW

BY HOLLY VAN NESS

Born in 2001, just one year older than myself, Caroline Romano has been making her mark on the music scene for quite a few years now. At just 17, Caroline moved to Nashville to pursue her music career and at 21, released her first album, ‘Oddities and Prodigies.’ The album was well-received and showcased Caroline’s musical versatility with misty-eyed ballads and fiery pop-punk anthems (unveilgenuis.com). Through her music, Caroline brings light to topics like mental illness, self-actualization, and everything that comes with growing up. 

As she gets older and changes, so does her music, although she never loses what makes it her music. Caroline blends indie-pop, dance-pop, R&B, pop-punk, and practically whatever she wants to create seamless and original pieces that don’t necessarily follow the trends. 

Out on Friday, August 23rd, ‘Body Bag’ is a song that proves Caroline makes music to invoke emotions and tell a story. Filled with fuzzy guitars, sparkling synths, and Caroline’s dreamy indie-pop vocals, the song is a story about growing up and coming to terms with the realities of life–something many can relate to. 

“I always had this picture in my mind of who I would be at this age and what my life would look like, and I always thought it would be shiny, fun, sexy, and exhilarating,” says Caroline. “I’ve spent the last few years chasing those feelings, but ‘Body Bag’ is a peak behind the curtain at the reality of modern romance and feeling young and old at the same time. I think sonically the song has so many ups and downs, and that’s exactly how this stage of my life has felt. It’s running barefoot on the concrete, chasing something you can’t quite put your finger on, but running towards it nonetheless. That’s how I would best describe ‘Body Bag.’"

And maybe it’s because Caroline and I are the same age and we’re both stuck in this weird limbo of our early-20s, but I absolutely agree with her. When I first listened to the song, it felt a little bit like a rollercoaster and I found myself torn between wanting Caroline to go all-in and give me raw vocals and heavier instruments and loving the soft, dance-pop vibe of the track. Only after listening a few more times did I realize that this was deliberate. 

‘Body Bag’ was designed to produce these conflicting emotions. The track is structured with weaves and loops between the contrasting sounds to show that early adulthood is marked by highs and lows and the search for balance (which may never come). The different instruments and sounds throughout the track are like an homage to Caroline trying to find herself. 

I can visualize the song in my head and when I do, I see Caroline moving in slow motion while the world around her spins and spins and spins, like she’s looking around at a universe that she doesn’t quite belong to. To quote the song directly, the lyrics, “I still know the feeling but I cannot face it,” sums it up fairly well. 

All in all, ‘Body Bag’ was an exciting listen and I’m extremely excited to be able to share it with all of you. Caroline is a promising young artist, not to mention a wonderful storyteller, and I’m very eager to dive into this new era of her music. 

Listen to ‘Body Bag’ wherever you stream music!