Female Power On Display In The Aces’ Album "Under My Influence"
If you are looking for an album full of female empowerment and self-expression, The Aces’ sophomore album, Under My Influence, is sure to please.
Released on July 17, 2020, the 14-track album straddles the line musically between Alternative and Indie/Pop. The record starts with “Daydream,” which is a sweet summer tune about the feeling of love that enters like a sort of dream. The song was the first track released during the new era of The Aces two years after their debut album. The confidence and vulnerability that the new record displays utilize the quartet’s sense of voice in a way that remains open and honest for audiences to listen and relate with.
While speaking to Apple Music about the tracks in a guided tour, the four women expressed the messages of each song on the album and the motivations that led them to create the tunes. Lead vocalist and guitarist Cristal Ramirez stated, “The older you get, the better you get at articulating yourself and saying exactly how you feel.” The sense of empowerment within the album comes to a head during the song, “Can You Do,” which questions whether the person you are with can do everything they say they will for you in your relationship.
The song is charged with the female perspective of being involved with someone and what that will do for them. Can they do everything they are promising for you? Will they be able to satisfy all of your desires? The track is fast and so catchy; with lyrics like “I need you to please me, show how bad you need me, I can’t make it easy. You say, you say, but can you do,” it is clear that The Aces are confident and bold in telling it exactly the way they see it and feel it. The repetition within the song and fast energy make it a perfect girls night out anthem.
Another single from the album is “Kelly,” an upbeat song which talks about a girl who is unsure of what she wants from a romantic situation, especially with someone from the same sex. The track is catchy and written just like a story: “Guess you warned me that night that you weren’t ready, but then you take off your clothes yeah, you do a 180, oh Kelly, what you doing?” The quartet was ecstatic on this album as it was able to tell stories about women and about their own lives rather than just following what was expected of them as a girl group. Most of the time, all-girl bands sing about boys. They said, “I love that we were able to even push the types of stories we are telling. They're more honest than ever, and that makes them more relatable.”
The album was a great transition from their colorful and fun debut which introduced me to them and their incredibly infectious style. As a woman listening to their songs, I find that their style of music is so up my ally. I love to hear their almost beachy, indie style wrapped into a pop genre. Their sense of self shines in “801” as they explain as “an ode to breaking out of your hometown and breaking out of the mold of what you were told to be your whole life, and knowing that that's okay—and getting comfortable with who you are and not what people expect of you.” The song not only speaks on some of the members true experiences with being a part of the LGBTQ+ community but also on the idea of being yourself in a place that wanted you to hold that sense of self back.
Growing up in Utah, a more conservative setting, was a challenge for them, especially as they began to understand their sexuality as much different than the status quo of the area. The girls make clear that not everyone is so traditional in their city, and that that is perfectly okay.
“I Can Break Your Heart Too” speaks to the very real fact that we are all filled with immense power and strength, even in a relationship that seems to be ending. The track reminds us all that we are not just victims in a setting where love can be diminishing; especially in a place of abuse of any kind or in the midst of heartache, it is essential to remember that you have the power to end things also. When speaking about the song, the girls stated, “I'm just as valuable, I'm just as sought out. I can break your heart, too.”
In many ways, The Aces sophomore album is a record filled with self-expression and honesty. With songs that are slow and heartfelt mixed with tracks that are happy and full of summer fun, the group spoke about real topics like love and the female life that can be felt by all women everywhere. The record was memorable for me and definitely captured my interest in the group even more. It is definitely worth a listen!
