Sabrina Song wonders if it’s all a ‘Big Trick’ on EP out now with lyric video
Photo credit: Morgan Winston
“As one of the most underrated, rising indie-pop singers right now, Sabrina Song’s soft vocals and coming-of-age lyrics will appeal to listeners of Blondshell, Olivia Rodrigo, and Allie Crow Buckley. Her concerts feel like an intimate hangout..”
“A reflection on compassion”
“…this gentle, well-written track [‘Doors’] signals the real arrival of a new great American artist.”
“Marked by her savvy navigation through adolescent growing pains, Song’s discography is ruled by an omnipresent sense of compassion.”
Today, Brooklyn-based alt-pop singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Sabrina Songshares her EP Big Trick out now. On the project, Song documents the peaks and valleys of young adulthood as she finds compassion, hope and love amidst disillusionment and shifting goal posts.
Alongside its release comes the title track and its lyric video that sees Song surrender to love despite fears and insecurities. On May 14, Song will celebrate the EP with a show at Brooklyn’s Union Pool with support from Alana Markel and screenager. See tickets and information here.
The EP came together organically in the aftermath of Song’s stirring 2024 debut record, You Could Stay In One Spot and I’d Love You The Same. Through Song’s signature delicate vocals and poignant lyricism, the musician dives headfirst into self-compassion, falling in love, the constant pressures of self-improvement and output and more.
Unafraid to confront big emotions and intimate moments, the musician says, “After the release of my debut album, I began working on new music with no expectations or plans. Those songs slowly started to take shape around a theme of disillusionment–which is what led me to the title of ‘Big Trick.’ Pulled from the title track of the EP, ‘Big Trick’ delves into the vulnerability of ugly feelings, letting yourself change your mind, and feeling the full spectrum of your emotions.”
Listen: Big Trick
While making the title track, produced by Lucas Wurman and Tom Brecker, Song uncovered the thesis for the project. Here, with gentle guitar strums, she sets the scene of easy love and the accompanying feelings of foolishness, fear and joy as she surrenders to it. Song shares, “‘Big Trick’ captures the little moments of insecurity in a relationship, and what can happen when a love feels like it’s too good to be true–vignettes of small shifts in dynamic or things left unsaid. Making this song with Lucas and Tom was the tipping point for the whole project–the title track for a project that is largely about saying the quiet part out loud.”
Watch: “Big Trick” (Lyric Video)
Over shimmering guitar riffs and a catchy chorus, recent single “Play It Cool” puts Song’s heart on full display as she basks in the effortless companionship she has. Ones To Watch has it on repeat and music blog Max’s Music Mondays wrote, “Her voice moves so easily, a melody full of tiny details that bring this song to life… Inventive and undeniable.”
Watch: “Play It Cool” (Lyric Video) | Listen
Song’s recent offering “Moving Target” sinks into the joys of splurging on dinner, commits to following one’s dreams and finds hope in the changing of seasons as brighter days await. It was placed on Pitchfork’s coveted Selects playlist while “LOCK” was placed on Spotify’s Created by Women and Next Gen Songwriters playlists. The fan favorite 2022 tune “Strawberry” boasts 4M+ streams and counting. NYLON has drawn comparisons to Blondshell and Olivia Rodrigo while i-D Magazine called “Doors“…perhaps the most measured song about a volatile relationship you’ll hear…this gentle, well-written track signals the real arrival of a new great American artist.”
Watch: “Moving Target” (Lyric Video) | Listen
Song has toured the U.S. and Canada with indie pop artist Carol Ades, performed at SXSW in 2021 and 2023 and shared stages with Alemeda, August Ponthier, Del Water Gap, Sarah Kinsley, Hannah Jadagu, The Ophelias and more. Last month, she supported Pom Pom Squad at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere Zone One and next week, she’ll take the stage at Union Pool in celebration of the EP.
Watch: “LOCK” (Official Video) | Listen
Now, with three EPs and a debut record under her belt, Sabrina Song has proven to be a potent voice in the indie music scene with major publications and a global audience taking notice of her uniquely absorbing tone and earnest songwriting. She initially made a splash in 2021 with her single, “Thaw,” which caught the attention of Phoebe Bridgers after Song performed it on NPR’s 2021 Tiny Desk Contest and led to a feature in NPR’s Top Shelf series on All Songs Considered. Bob Boilencontinued to show support in 2024 with airplay on his radio show, My Tiny Morning Show,
Sabrina Song begins a new chapter with Big Trick, the new EP out now with two new lyric videos, the title track and “Broken Machine.” The six tracks make up a thoughtful, vulnerable project that captures the complexities of maintaining hope when reality differs from one’s expectations. Celebrate the EP live with Song at Brooklyn’s Union Pool on May 14 with Alana Markel and screenager. Connect via Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more.
Watch: “Background Actor” (Official Video) | Listen
Watch: “Broken Machine” (Lyric Video)
BIG TRICK EP TRACKLISTING
01. Background Actor
02. LOCK
03. Big Trick
04. Broken Machine
05. Play It Cool
06. Moving Target
ABOUT SABRINA SONG
Sabrina Song’s music captures the weary heart of young adulthood—with all its heartbreak and bursts of hope in between. The primary writer and producer across her discography, the Brooklyn-based artist makes indie-rock songs that land with a delicate sting, exploring complex relationship dynamics, womanhood, and inner conflicts that don’t have a simple answer.
Song broke out in 2023 with her stirring single “Strawberry,” which captivated a newfound online audience over a year after its initial release. That same year, Song received the NYFA Women’s Fund grant to fund the creation and release of her debut album, You Could Stay In One Spot, and I’d Love You The Same in June 2024. A regular performer in New York’s indie scene, she sold out her album release show at Brooklyn staple Union Pool, and embarked on her first national tour supporting indie-pop artist Carol Ades at 19 shows across the US and Canada that fall. Opening for artists like Sarah Kinsley, Hannah Jagadu, and August Ponthier, she’s honed a live set with a full band that’s as intimate as it is electrifying and raw.
Song is also an active writer and producer with rising indie artists, with tracks amassing hundreds of thousands of streams and editorial playlist placements. Her credits include cuts with rising popstar Mercer Henderson, indie singer-songwriter dearest, indie-rock outlet Pom Pom Squad, and NYC mainstay Sofia D’Angelo. Her collaborative ethos was also highlighted on the deluxe version of her debut album, in which innovative artists and peers like emory and OK Cowgirl reimagined select tracks from the project.
Most recently, “LOCK” was featured at the top of Spotify’s Created by Women editorial playlist, “Moving Target” was placed on Pitchfork’s Selects playlist, and “Play It Cool” was added to Spotify’s All New Indie playlist. Sabrina’s new EP, Big Trick, is out now.
Download hi-res still from “Background Actor” official video | Photo credit: Julia Kupiec