Madison Warner, DJ
Singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine released her third studio album “Older” on April 5, 2024. This is just a few days shy of the two-year period of her previous album release, “Five Seconds Flat,” which came out on April 8, 2022.
McAlpine first began to tease this album in February 2024 by releasing the title track “Older,” followed by the second single “I Guess” in March. She told Dork that this album is “a representation of who she’s become over the last three years; showcasing growth and the most honest version of herself.”
“Five Seconds Flat” was an album filled with collaborations and jaw-dropping bridges, whereas “Older” is focused on vulnerability both musically and lyrically.
The album opens with the song “The Elevator,” and despite its short length, is extremely captivating. According to Genius, this song “revolves around her deep emotional connection with her on-and-off boyfriend of three years.” The piano introduction followed by McAlpine’s beautiful vocals easily lures the attention of the listener and produces a sense of hope with the lyrics “I think we can make it / I hope that I’m right.”
“Come Down Soon” is the second track on this album and touches on the topic of a romantic experience. Behind the upbeat and vibey music, McAlpine describes through her lyrics how “nothing this good ever lasts this long for me.” This showcases how she’s accustomed to being disappointed, as well as the doubtful tone that flows throughout the song describing how this relationship is bound to fall through eventually.
“Like It Tends To Do” is a song about having to face an ex-partner when seeing them after everything that happened. Throughout this track, McAlpine describes the disappointment she felt after losing this partner by stating, “people enter one by one / and I’ve stopped hoping they’ll be you.” Overall, this song references how difficult change can be after someone who’s been a major part of your life is no longer involved in it.
“Movie Star” describes the advancement of excitement to boredom that can take place in a relationship. The lyrics recount how special McAlpine feels to be chosen by her partner, but overtime, she indulges in how she wishes she could grow from this relationship.
“All Falls Down” immediately charms the listener with its jazz-like introduction. Lyrically, it shows McAlpine reflecting on past events and emotions in her life. This song tackles the feeling of anxiety, particularly, in growing older. This can be seen in the line, “I can’t stop time from moving / and I can never get it back.” One of my favorite lyrics from this song is, “Am I that good of a liar / that I believe myself again,” due to the relatability factor.
“Staying” is the sixth track on this album and encaptures McAlpine’s struggle to leave a toxic relationship. Her voice is filled with emotion as she describes the pain of not being strong enough to stand up for herself and leave behind what she knows isn’t good for her. She perfectly captures that feeling in the line “I give myself to help you get by.”
“I Guess,” as mentioned earlier, was the second single released from this album. In this song, she tells her listeners a story of taking someone home with her. When McAlpine sings this live, she teaches the audience the melody of the bridge so they can sing along.
“Drunk, Running” is the next song on the album and it describes someone who heavily depended on alcohol. Throughout the song, McAlpine compares the love she feels for this person to the love they have towards their addiction. She also calls them out for saying things, but then never living up to the words they say. “Someone ought to hold you to your words / say I love you, and then drink it backwards.” McAlpine later changes these lyrics towards the end of the piece to, “someone ought to hold me to my words,” which may indicate that this song may be about herself.
“Broken Glass” seems to describe a toxic relationship once again. She uses powerful lyrics like, “it might seem like I love you / but I just don’t want to be alone,” to describe why she is staying in this poisonous relationship.
“You Forced Me To” captures the idea of McAlpine believing she is burnt out and unworthy of love. She talks about not being the same as when she originally met this person, and then proceeds into greater detail about how she has changed only because she was forced to by this person she met.
“Older” is track eleven on the album, and as mentioned previously, the first single released. It is a beautiful, simple piano ballad which recounts McAlpine missing her youth. Throughout the song, she describes the challenges that come with growing up and she wishes it could just be easy. “Over and over / watch it all pass / mom’s getting older / I’m wanting it back.”
“Better Than This” is McAlpine’s way of talking about how someone sees her as a better person than she perceives herself. She states, “what if I’m not a good person / you always say I am / you don’t really know me at all now,” to explain her frustration and hesitation to believe it’s true. She believes she is unworthy of the love she is being given but is also scared that she will never be loved better. However, she also believes this person deserves more than the love she can give them.
“March” is track thirteen on the album, which McAlpine uses to dedicate to her late father who passed on March 13, 2020. She describes how she sees her father in everything around her, even more so now that he’s gone. McAlpine also reflects on how she called her father when she heard the news, and then spent the night by his side. She says, “Thought I had it handled, but it slipped through / didn’t know it’d be this hard,” showing that it’s just as hard to deal with now as when it first occurred.
McAlpine concludes the album with the song “Vortex.” It relays the hope she has that one day, she’ll be able to escape from the cycle of beginning relationships just to have them end. “Someday I’ll be able to let you go / someday I’ll be kinder to myself,” which describes the desire she has to find the strength to let go of the past and give herself the happiness she’s struggled to gain elsewhere. “Someday you’ll come back, and I’ll say no,” showing that she feels stuck now, but she will find the power to stand up for herself eventually.