Melanie Herrera's "A Fearful & Wondrous Thing"

By Bethany M

On May 28th, Melanie Herrera released her debut album A Fearful & Wondrous Thing. New York City-based and Philadelphia-raised pop singer Herrera was significantly influenced by music through her Mexican and Argentine parents, causing her to be classically trained and challenged early on in her life. Her early uprising has influenced this album through its honesty, refinement, and focus on cinematic storytelling and aesthetic. Through the rise of social media, Herrera has gained attention through her "Nepo Baby Vocal Warm-Up" series, which has featured stars such as Kate Hudson, Hugh Jackman, and icons from Dancing with the Stars. Herrera has been constantly refining her technique and artistry during the past few years, and it has shaped her into what she is today.

A Fearful and Wonderous Thing is a 12-track album that deeply describes the exciting but unpredictable feeling and nature of truly being alive. Herrera highlights, "This record is an arrival—both to life and to myself as an artist. I'm a late bloomer who spent years believing I wasn't someone who could accomplish great things, which kept me rooted in anxiety and self-doubt. These songs came after I finally broke free of that story, and they reflect a life lived in full, complete with love, grief, mystery, joy, and all the beautiful chaos of being alive."

Right off the bat, listeners hear "There Was Me," "Cool Girls Party," and "Imposter," which are three pop songs, to me, that summarize what it is to be a teenager and a young adult battling the feeling of change, community, and the sense of belonging. To continue the tracks, "I Think I Lied," "You're Doing Great," and "A Little, Always," are slightly slower and handle heavier topics like breakups, friendship, and mental health. These tracks stand out to me particularly as they are more fragile compared to the pop tracks throughout the rest of the album and highlight a shift in tone from the previous three tracks. Section three featured tracks called "Strangers Again," "Without Me," and "Call You Baby," which were upbeat songs with similar themes like breakups, relationships, and growing apart from each other. "Without Me" and "Strangers Again" were two of my favorite tracks of the album and were featured right back to back. The final section starts with a pop-rock banger, "Whatevers Left," but quickly shifts into a slower ballad, "Shouldn't the Flowers Stop Growing," which is similar to "A Little, Always," as it handles harsh themes of change, weather its for the positive or negative. "Love is Like Surgery" is a gentle but emotional way to close out the album as it describes the impact of love, relationships, and daily interactions with loved ones. Overall, A Fearful and Wondrous Thing features so many different types of tracks from slow ballads to upbeat pop-rock songs, showing that everyone can find a song to relate to.

Make sure to stream A Fearful and Wondrous Thing on all platforms now and keep connected with Melanie Herrera as she continues to grow and develop her complex and emotional artistry and talent, and if you're located in New York City, be sure to see her live at the Bowery Palace on June 4th. Tickets are on-sale now.

A Fearful & Wondrous Thing Track List:
1. There Was Me
2. Cool Girls Party
3. Imposter
4. I Think I Lied
5. You're Doing Great
6. A Little, Always
7. Strangers Again
8. Without Me (Album Version)
9. Call You Baby
10. Whatever's Left
11. Shouldn't the Flowers Stop Growing?
12. Love is Like Surgery