“Lively Premonition” is an album all about emotions.
“It’s about the cycle of love, heartbreak, lust, party-going, self-acceptance, connections and rediscovering yourself over and over again,” Jordana told Paolo Ragusa from the culture blog Consequence.
As a casual listener of Jordana myself, I came across the album’s second single “Like a Dog” in August 2024 and immediately fell in love. The synth ballad is theatrical and almost feels like the antithesis of Soccer Mommy’s 2018 track, “Your Dog”.
On “Like a Dog”, Jordana puts a spin on a classic motif from the indie-pop girl playbook — comparing the love she receives and gives to that of a dog.
“To me you’re the only one / Even when you string me along / None of this feels wrong / Cause I love to be loved like a dog.”
Jordana’s lyricism is satirical and self-deprecating about the desperation she feels within the relationship.
Throughout the track, Jordana pleads for her lover to notice her unconditional loyalty. “Ooh, do you care that I’d stay for you? / Ooh, do you care that I’d lay with you?”
Another stand out single from “Lively Premonition” was track one, “We Get By”. The romantic acoustic atmosphere in “We Get By” pulls you in by your heart strings on the first chord.
The track begins with a one sided conversation that could only be described as loving pillow talk.
“Do you believe in love at first sight? / I still remember our first time / Now, what’s mine is yours / And what’s yours is mine.”
Throughout the track, Jordana details the way love can prevail throughout both hardship and mundanity.
“As long as I have you by my side / We don’t need a fancy car or bike / Yeah, on the road we share the lines / And on the sea, we share the tides.”
On “This is How I Know”, Jordana touches on a similar theme.
“This is how I know you love me / Tell me, how can I be lonely with my thoughts of you?”
Nearing the middle of the tracklist, the album takes an experimental turn with “Multitudes of Mystery”.
“Multitudes of Mystery” begins with a conversation between Jordana and producer Emmett Kai, imitating a young boy inviting two girls to a party. The song explores a coming of age and first time substance use.
The track ends with a spoken and reverbed outro following a countdown to an electronic sound, likely an innuendo to the start of a drug trip.
“I can’t feel my face (Ten, nine) / How long is this gonna last? (Eight, seven) / Uh (Six, five) / I can’t move (Four) / Is it working? (Three) / I think it’s working? (Two, one)”
The next track, “Raver Girl” follows a similar adult theme. “Raver Girl” details the story about meeting a stranger at the club and falling in love without ever exchanging a single word.
“By the end of the night / You’re out of my sight / To realize I’m dancing alone / Honey, where have you gone? / There’s still one more song / It was over just as soon as it started, baby.”
Sonically, “Raver Girl” feels like a song you’d hear at the roller rink. It is as aesthetically expressive as it is vocally.
Track three, “Heart You Hold”, was my personal favorite track on the album.
On “Heart You Hold”, Jordana delicately asks the listener to think about the relationships in their life.
“Are you scared to be away from all the friends you’ve grown to know so well? / You could be mad at mom and dad for ripping you out from your comfy bed / And you might not have the mental wherewithal to understand it quite just yet.”
The track is reminiscent of a lullaby. Jordana takes on the role of an older sibling or a guardian, caringly giving advice to the listener about personal growth.
“And don’t you doubt you’ve got all the seconds in the world to figure out / Who you are (la la, la la la)”
The final tracks on “Lively Premonition”, “Wrong Love”, “Anything For You”, “The One I Knew” and “Your Story’s End” are songs of heartache.
On “Anything For You”, Jordana searches for a new sense of self after realizing she put her partner before herself in their relationship.
“I would’ve moved mountains / And you knew all along / Should’ve guessed that after long / I would’ve been here writing this song”.
At the end of the track, grief transforms into anger and Jordana realizes she craves a change.
“Should’ve guessed that I’d be gone / I shouldn’t be here writing this song.”
“Lively Premonition” encapsulates loss, love and lust in only ten tracks. This album will keep you laughing, crying and dancing throughout its 40 minute run time.
