TRACK REVIEW: Mimi Webb - House on Fire

TRACK REVIEW:

Mimi Webb

House on Fire

8.8/10

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Fieber

The track, House on Fire, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-M9_cKCGuM

RELEASE DATE:

18th February, 2022

ORIGIN:

Gravesend, U.K.

GENRE:

Pop

LABEL:

Epic Records

__________

A rising British talent…

PHOTO CREDIT: Parri Thomas

who is one of the most promising young artists around, Mimi Webb is someone to watch closely. Currently on tour (she plays the Manchester Academy 2 tonight), Webb finished third in BBC’s Sound of 2022. It is clear that she is an artist that is already showing enormous promise. Following her debut E.P., Seven Shades of Heartbreak, last year, there will be calls and excitement about an album. I am going to come to Webb’s latest single. I will work my way there. To start, it is worth looking at Webb’s start and when she became interested in pursuing music. In the Sound of 2022 interview with the BBC, Webb was asked about her musical upbringing:

“When did you discover you could sing?

I think I was probably eight years old. I always sang, since I was a toddler - but I think the moment when I first thought, "Oh, there's something going on here" was when I was eight and doing choir and musical theatre at school.

Who was the first person who encouraged you?

It was my piano teacher at secondary school. In my first lesson, he asked me what could I play and I said, "Oh, I can play Someone Like You by Adele and I can sing it, too." He was probably thinking, "Hang on, this is a piano lesson" but when I sang, he just was blown away. He then called up the guitar teacher, who came and listened too, and they basically got my mum on the school phone and told her, "This is something you need to pursue". I was so excited!

What was the first song you wrote for yourself?

Actually, I've been writing since I was 10 years old. I'd sing these random songs I made up in my head in the back of the car. My mum used to assume they were real songs, but they weren't! And the more I did it, the more she would be like, "Oh my gosh, this is quite cool."

You ended up leaving home at 16 to attend BIMM in Brighton. What was that like?

BIMM was two hours away from Canterbury - so it was very intense and scary. I had to move in with a host family and make a whole new friendship group. But I kept saying to myself, "I want to be an artist and this is the way I need to go about it. If I go two stairs up, I won't be going back down."

Are your family helping to keep you grounded now that your career's taking off?

One hundred per cent. I just moved to my own place in London about a month ago, but I'm always, on the phone to them, FaceTiming, catching up. They keep my feet on the floor”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Fieber

Mimi Webb attended BIMM Institute in Brighton. That seemed like a great experience for her, at least when it came to making connections and getting noticed. I was interested knowing more about Webb’s musical loves, and how she transitioned from a music lover as a child to someone actively pursuing it. In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, we discover more about Webb’s experiences with TikTok, her childhood music fascinations, and moving to the BIMM:

“For Canterbury singer Mimi Webb the pandemic has been a double-edged sword. On the one hand, she’s used the time to cultivate a dedicated following on TikTok that’s translated into streams and radio spins. While on the other, she’s living her success through the lens of Zoom.

“Because people are at home, they're playing more music, they're chilling out more. So you know, it's just so easy to connect with them,” she smiles from her bedroom, across yet another video call. “I think with my music being quite emotional as well, everyone really had that time to look at themselves and hone in on that emotion. I think people wanted to be real with themselves, because when you're working Monday to Friday, you haven't always got time to actually care about how you're feeling and listen to music that gets you in that place.”

The 21-year-old Webb was raised in Kent, falling in love with singers like Adele and Emeli Sandé from a young age. “I grew up listening to all these incredible artists that give that goosebumps kind of big feeling,” she says. “I've always just grown up loving that kind of emotional impact.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron Bensley

Although her family weren’t particularly musical, they nurtured Webb’s passion, enrolling her on a part-time course at the BRIT school and supporting her performances in school choirs, band nights and variety shows.

At sixteen she had a choice between going full-time at BRIT or moving to Brighton to attend BIMM. She chose the seaside music college, as it offered songwriting courses, as well as performance-based modules. Webb left home and moved in with a host family. “For those two years I really evolved and grew off of my own back,” she explains. “You’re out there in the world on your own. You're living and breathing the kind of atmosphere of music and the environment, so you’re really driven.”

Through BIMM and the opportunities her attendance created she met management company Best Friends - the same people behind Billie Eilish, Finneas and Ashe - and signed with Epic Records at eighteen. As they were readying her first single, she took a trip to New York for meetings where she was introduced to Charli D’Amelio. The two went for dinner and showed TikTok to Webb: “I was like, I don't know what I could do on it!” she laughs. “So we did a video together and I just sang one of my songs that I'd written a few months before. It kind of just went crazy from there, like the reaction it had. And I just thought, this is crazy that this app does that. Can actually connect to that many people”.

Like so many artists, Webb started making music during lockdown. Her career started before then - but it was over the past couple of years when she has been going for it with real intent. Although it must have been a struggle, the fact Webb is a noticed artist who is being tipped for big success shows her determination and passion! NOTION spoke with Webb back in May. They asked about making music during lockdown, and what it has been like entering such a demanding industry relatively fresh out of college:

“On the other hand, you only started releasing music last year (which I do not believe), but especially in a time of such chaos, did you ever think I might have to put music on pause or was it just full steam ahead?

I was not putting anything on pause. I remember at the start of the pandemic, I was like, right guys, I’m getting my setup, I’m learning how to do my vocals and how to record it all. We’re just not stopping like this because last year as well, 2020 was very much a year of right here we go. Let’s kick it all off. When we all went into the pandemic, I just thought to myself, no, not having it, I’m still going to do what I can do at home. It’s a very, full gun ahead, whatever the saying is full speed ahead – just very passionate about getting everything going. Every day I was up straight into work, I’ve got my little studio set up at home, and then it’s just back and forth.

At the time, still being new to the music scene and just finished Brighton Music College – was there any time you thought this could not go right, and as a rising artist within such a demanding music industry, how do you overcome those challenges?

There are those times where you end up getting a bit worried, releasing, the time span of how you’re going to do things and, there are so many amazing artists but, I think to believe in yourself and surround the whole thing with love and support for your peers and be happy and great – allowing the love of the industry in. I think that is where I learned, wow this is how it works. But there are definitely loads of times where you sit there and think, oh, and I think that happens with everyone, doesn’t it with anything you do. You’ve just got to be able to filter it all through and go with the things that make you feel good and happy”.

I want to spend a bit more time with Mimi Webb and her experiences during lockdown. Wonderland. interviewed her last April. It must have been such a strange time for Webb to fulfil her ambitions and express her true talents when the world was locked down:

“How has the last year affected you as a new artist trying to establish themselves in the industry?

It pretty was crazy at the start. I remember thinking to myself, how am I going to be able to record my vocals? How am I going to write music? And I had become so reliant on being in a studio and having the equipment there. But I was able to adapt and learn how to use the equipment I had at home and get used to Zoom sessions to keep making music during lockdown. And now my most recent single is a total product of quarantine. Personally, I think I’ve come out of this time as a completely different person. My look has changed, I’ve become a stronger artist because I had time to reflect and work out the details of who I am.

You released your first single, “Before I Go,” a month into lockdown – what was it like to try to start your career in these circumstances?

It was definitely a real stress. We were able to finish the song and the music video right before lockdown started. But there was a sense after that release of where do we go from here? We’ve managed to find ways to work through it. This time has also given people a chance to really listen to music. TikTok has been really amazing for my career in that way, because the platform has been such a big part of people hearing my music and following me as an artist.

How has the time you’ve been able to reflect impacted you as an artist?

2020 was a very strange one for me. I was going through a moment where I was trying to find my feet in the industry. I was trying to find my sound. I was trying to have my own lane that no one else had because that really is a pressure when you are a new artist. But as time has gone on, I have definitely realized that you can really just put out whatever you want as long as the song is really strong, and you believe in it. I’ve been able to drop the pressures of all of those side of thoughts. I feel like an artist now, I feel like I have only just become an artist because of this period of experimentation and finding my sound”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talie Eigeland

I want to come on to social media and Mimi Webb’s influences. TikTok has been a big and important platform for many artists. It allows access to a large audience; a site where you can share music, clips and short videos seems perfect for a Pop audience. In December, NOTION spoke with Webb once more. We discover more about her musical influence, and how TikTok has played a role in her rise to recognition and success:

“Citing her key influences as powerhouse vocalists Amy Winehouse, Adele and Sam Smith, like her heroes, Mimi’s ability to tap into both vulnerability and strength through her music is winning her legions of fans around the world. Currently, she’s tip-toeing towards six million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. “I never expected it,” she affirms. It’s easy to quantify things numerically since we live in a world where streaming and followers dictate popularity and trends, but Mimi quantifies her success by the resonance her music has with people. Always keeping an eye on new DMs and comments, she cherishes the interactions she has with fans both old and new. “The fact that these people feel comfortable to let me into their personal life and speak to me about it and they want to get advice from me [is amazing],” she says. “You kind of get to know everyone through social media just because you see the name so often.”

However, like any digitally-fed Gen-Z, Mimi knows the importance of a constant social media buzz for artists. Whilst she “gets all excited” seeing new TikTok comments and duets on her videos, she does also speak candidly about the pressure she – and many other artists – feel to be constantly engaged on social media. “You’ve really got to make sure you get information across in the right way and be on top of your game, even though you’re probably doing five shoots a week and loads of shows every month,” she explains. “It’s very intense trying to keep on top of it and share the information that you know your fans need to see. You want to make it look good and you want to come across really great. I’ve always been the girl next door vibe so I’ve just shown what I’m up to and what I do, but I think there’s now that line of making sure you’re keeping a mystery as well and to keep everyone super interested and ready for new information. I think the more you grow, there are definitely more lines you can’t cross. And it’s just getting used to that – becoming an artist and a brand.” Despite this, it seems Mimi’s mind is ahead of the game already: “I’m getting to the point now where I’m making sure I stay organised and on top of it. When I do that, I feel like I’m getting through it all well,” she relays”.

TikTok, as I said, has been key for Webb. Although the platform has its faults and drawbacks, it is a great way to promote music and new work. POPSUGAR. dubbed Mimi Webb TikTok’s most underrated artist. They wanted to know more about her TikTok videos:

“PS: When you first started making TikTok videos, was there a part of you that imagined what it would be like now?

MW: No! I was freaking out. I was like, "Come on, I want to try it, see what it does." I was saying to my mum and dad, "I want to really try this out," and we just kind of went for it, and I didn't really know what would happen. I'd seen that TikTok could do amazing things for songs, because it had really blown up a lot of songs, like "You Broke Me First" by Tate McRae, that was one of my favourite songs. When I started, I couldn't really get my head around it, because you just see all these numbers, and you can't actually figure out what it is until you then see the growth the song makes outside of the app.

PS: Your friends and family make appearances in a lot of your TikTok videos. How difficult was it to convince them to get involved?

MW: They were really up for it! I think because I don't really play them anything, and I don't like to tell them too much. I've always been a bit like that, I think because I moved away at a young age, and I was kind of on my own for a while. For them to even get a scoop of what's going on and to be let into the secret, they were like, "Yes, well, whatever way, we want to do it." I never really played them anything, and I always kept it all to myself, because I just wanted to wait for the right moment.

PS: I'm sure they loved that. What do you think it is about TikTok that has been so helpful for young artists?

MW: It's very welcoming, and everyone wants to hear new music on the app. I think it's a really creative app, and there's not any judgment on what you do, because there's so many different things people can do. TikTok isn't for just one thing — it's for so many different things. That's what I love about it. People do dances, singing, songwriting, jokes, comedy — all those kind of things. It's definitely the best place to go when you're a new or upcoming artist, and it really helps you connect with the fans”.

I cannot discuss Mimi Webb without talking about her excellent debut E.P., Seven Shades of Heartbreak. Whilst it is an excellent E.P., we learn from the BBC Sound of 2022 interview how it was slightly prophetic – the title pointed at some future heartbreak and realisation:

“When Mimi Webb started recording her EP, Seven Shades Of Heartbreak, last year, she had no idea it would prove prophetic.

Writing songs about the loves she'd lost focused her attention on her current relationship - and she wasn't keen on what she discovered, as her boyfriend quickly learned

"The EP helped me realise that that relationship wasn't right for me," she confesses. "It really helped me figure out what I felt was missing... And he probably struggles with it, you know? When he listens to the EP, he's going to think 'Oh, God'".

Still, she wouldn't change a thing.

"It's just so crazy how I look back on that EP now," she says during our conversation in mid-December. "It came out two months ago and I was in such a different place. It's really showed how much can change within a short period."

That applies equally to her personal and her professional life. Seven Shades Of Heartbreak became the 21-year-old's first top 10 album, and she ended the year performing her single, Good Without, on the Top of the Pops Christmas special”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron Bensley

I want to come back to the POPSUGAR. Interview before moving along. They asked Mimi Webb about her debut E.P., Seven Shades of Heartbreak One of the most anticipated E.P. releases of last year, it must have been a relief for her to get it out during the pandemic. It would have been in her mind for a very long time:

“PS: Speaking of new music, your first EP is out today! How are you feeling, and what can you tell us about it?
MW: I'm so excited. It's really about clarifying my sound now and making that really dominant and really understandable. It's about a situation that I'm going through and I've been through, and it's something everyone can relate to. It's got lots of different chapters of that one situation in it.

PS: How would you describe your sound for people who haven't heard you before?
MW: Definitely the emotional ballad, powerhouse sing-your-heart out songs. I love the instrumentation we use and the production, sonically; it's got that pop feel as well. It's definitely got the mix between pop and then ballad.

PS: When writing the EP, was there anyone you were particularly inspired by or listening to at the time?
MW: I'm always listening to Adele, and I think she's always been a really big influence and inspiration for me throughout my years of writing. I also love Lewis Capaldi. I definitely took some inspiration from his album and the emotional songs out there”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Yoshitaka Kono

Prior to coming to her new song, there is an interview with Official Charts. It was interesting learning which album Mimi Webb first fell in love with, and what her earliest songwriting memory was:

“What is your earliest music memory?

It was being at school and playing in all the talent show and band nights. Learning instruments, singing in the school choir… I was always really involved in all of it it. I was always known as Mimi, the girl who will never shut up singing! I did a lot of musical theatre when I was young, but my voice was never really suited for that. I think that helped me find my music passion as it took me intro the studio and to that side of the art.

Any embarrassing moments you’d rather forget?

Definitely! I remember when I was around 13, I would be so dramatic on the stage. I would sing Adele’s Someone Like You and literally look like I was about to cry. I mean, I’ve always been a massive drama queen – I’m an emotional person. For me, it was always about selling the show, but I really had no clue what I was doing.

What was the first album you fell in love with?

I was completely obsessed with Adele’s first album 19. There’s not a bad song on that album. I love that her songs aren’t necessarily what you’d expect them to be about. Emeli Sande’s first album as well. Anything with that goosebumps feeling and a really big vocal, I am always there for it.

What was the first you wrote about?

It was called Pinocchio and it was about a relationship I was in when I was really young. I was feeling lied to and I was in a bad place, so the song was all my anger towards that situation. I remember thinking, no-one can hear this!

What music is on heavy rotation for you at the moment?

I’m loving Olivia Rodrigo’s album Sour, she’s just smashed it really, hasn’t she? Taylor Swift’s Folklore is still incredible. To be honest, I’ve been so busy writing and recording that I need to get into some more new music. But that singer-songwriter, real music that resonates with people is the kind of stuff I love – it’s what inspires my music.

Is there an artist people might be surprised to hear you love?

I love Rihanna so much. Her Anti album was just incredible – Needed Me, B*tch Better Have My Money, all of it. I know I would never be able to make that kind of music and create that kind of vibe, but I love listening to it”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talie Eigeland

House on Fire’s video begins with a man in his house on a laptop. He receives messages from Mimi Webb. She suspects he was lying and was out with a girl called Alice. He says he was at home and not out with anyone else. Webb accuses him of being a liar. The next shot, comically, sees him on a stretcher - as it is implied she burned his house down. We get context to the song before anything is sung. Webb is someone not to be messed with! She has had enough of being lied to and taken for granted. With a fresh and determined vocal, House on Fire never relents when it comes to its energy and bounce. Although I was not normally review mainstream Pop music, there is something about Webb’s music that draws you in. She has aspects of Dua Lipa in terms of her vocal and sound, yet she is very much her own artist. Her lyrics are especially distinct and personal. The first lines and expressions are particularly vivid: “I make friends with the head of police/To make sure he'd suspect me the least/If I'm caught I'll be out in a week/I got my story straight down to a T”.

This is much cheekier, more sinister and slightly American (I got more of a sense of California and U.S. cops than London or someone in this country). Webb professes her innocence as a shady and cheating boy is pulled from a flaming house: “Oh I'd say it wasn't me, hmm/And sure we dated once in a while/But if there was a motive, it's not enough for a trial”. The video is funny and powerful. Webb knowingly winks and smiles as the carnage unfolds. We see her dressed as a firefighter dancing on the lawn. We know that she will get away with arson. The composition keeps it simple with a beat and some electronics. It allows Webb the chance to have her voice at the centre and front of the mix; a sound she can ride on and keep the strut and swagger high. The compelling story continues: “I saw you out, it was zero degrees/And you had your hands right under her sleeves/Oh, you said you don't get cold, you liar/Now I'ma set your house on fire/Running, I'm running back to your place/With gas and a match, it'll go up in flames/Now I know you're not at home, you liar/Now I'ma set your house on fire”.

One might feel it is extreme for Webb to burn the house of her cheating boyfriend after one or two indiscretions, but he has been lying and assuming he would get away with it. Someone who takes no crap, this is a heroine who is not going to sob or get angry and leave it there! A sign that she is someone you do not screw with, House on Fire has this rush and intensity that lives up to its name. I love the fact that, unlike a lot of Pop songs, Webb is more concerned with creating story and plot as opposed simply repeating lines and relying on a catchy chorus. House on Fire has one of them, though it also has an original lyrical dynamic: “If somebody goes and calls the brigade/I'll already be too far away/I bought a map and I planned the escape/I'll dye my hair, change my name”. There is a great mix of funny and horror in a way. It is creepy in the sense that the anti-hero is being taken to hospital, yet we see several Mimi Webbs in the back with him administering oxygen. One could almost see the video taking a truly bloody turn. As it is, it is kept lighter. Having alibis and saying that the police and fire brigade would never suspect her, she has gotten away with the perfect crime! She warns the ailing boyfriend how she is appreciates honesty and decency: “You should've seen this from the start/When you could've been honest, you could've been smart/Yeah, we might have touched, we might have kissed/But, darling, I'm sorry, it's not enough to convict”. A master criminal who has everything planned and is going to extreme lengths to have her revenge, we learn how the relationship was quite new or casual.

PHOTO CREDIT: Yoshitaka Kono

One might ask, for a relationship that has not progressed that far or got too deep, whether Webb’s ultimatum, fire retribution and her criminality is proportionate! It adds layers to a song that other artists would not inject. Much more than a commercial or shallow Pop song, there is nuance and mystery. Sexy, colourful and funny, the video moves to the hospital as Webb is dressed as a (sexy) nurse. In a hospital that looks like it could be set in America in the 1980s (it has that vibe and aesthetic), we move to a rehabilitation room/centre, - the actual set looks like a gym or sports hall, as it allows for more space and movement -, where Webb is taunting and unapologetic. The man, I bet, would turn back time and do things differently after he is bandaged and sees Webb on a T.V. singing her lines of anger and revenge. Whilst other men might be hesitant about having a relationship with Webb – if she can burn someone’s house down for some light cheating, would they always be looking over their shoulders and afraid to do anything wrong?! -, her message has been clearly made. The liar liar’s house is on fire, and the video ends with him on the roof on a treadmill, precariously placed near the edge. So many shades of black come into this video! Webb plays this cross between a femme fatale and a girlfriend who is speaking for women who have been cheated on, stepped on and not been able to get their kick in (I am surprised there were not references to Basic Instinct or Fatal Attraction (Webb boiling the boy’s phone like Glen Close did the bunny in the 1987 film). The final lines complete the plan, as Webb has a disguise and has made her getaway: “You can look around, but you won't find her/She'll be outta town with the getaway driver/That's the way it feels when the flames get higher/Now I'ma set your house on fire”. In the video, Webb makes a gesture like she is dropping the mic, as she is seen breathing heavily with a sense of relief and victory on her face. Enacting her revenge and ensuring that this one man does not mess with another woman, the song completes. House on Fire is a song you will re-spin and play quite a bit. The video on its own is another to get you coming back, as it is packed with fascinating and standout scenes. I love the concept of the song and how it is empowering and filmic! As I said, one might question the validity and rationale of Webb’s extreme comeback to cheating in a relationship that seemed like it was on its infancy. Regardless, House on Fire is a fantastic offering from an artist who is going to have her busiest year yet. House on Fire, to me, would really come to life on stage. It is a song that is destined to be a fan favourite before long.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talie Eigeland

I want to end up by returning to the interview with NOTION from December. Although Mimi Webb is quite a new artist, she is pretty ambitious and determined:

“It’s this determination to not just survive, but thrive in the ever-competitive music industry that is surely playing a big part in Mimi’s mounting success. Having already ticked off so many goals early on in her career, including playing Reading and Leeds festivals in August and with her own UK headline show planned for the end of October, what’s left on her bucket list? “Definitely the James Bond theme song. I’d love to write and perform that. That is a massive one for me. But if I’m realistic, I’m like, ‘We’re just gonna have to wait a bit for that one, Mimi!’” she cackles. “I’d love to do a performance at The BRITs next year. That would be incredible. Nominations, that’s just crazy to me. It freaks me out,” she laughs again, also listing off her dreams to attend The GRAMMYs and both play and sell out arena tours. Collabs with Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa are on the manifestation board too, but Mimi is ready to wait until the right song and collaboration comes along. “At the end of the day, for me as an artist, I just want it to make sense and relate and come across well,” she explains. “It’s just making sure you get that right and it works. I can’t wait for those opportunities to start coming in.” Despite her big (yet definitely within reach) dreams, Mimi is as grounded as ever, emphasising: “I’m really, really realistic with it, which is good. It makes me feel like there’s so much more to go for and new opportunities”.

House on Fire is a great new track from Mimi Webb. Someone who is going to have a wonderful and successful career, I am sure we will see something in the way of an E.P. or album this year. Now that touring has resumed, Webb is definitely getting out there and taking it worldwide. Next month, she heads to North America…and she is not back in Europe until the summer. It is going to be a hectic and busy year for Webb. Make sure you follow her and see where she heads next. House on Fire is a suitably hot and intense track from…