Dodie — ‘You’ — Album Review
Dodie (Dorothy Miranda Clark) was born on 11th April 1995. She created her main YouTube channel ‘doddleoddle’[i] on 7 February 2011. In addition, she constructed two other side channels: ‘doddlevloggle’[ii] — more of a diary style channel with ramblings and random blogging; then ‘dodieVEVO’[iii] — a profession home for her music publications. I shall leave all of her links at the end. She has built a heartfelt relationship with her audience through honesty about her feelings and witty ideas. Whether it is a rant about her day, a little makeup tutorial or a deep meaningful chat about her depersonalisation, she continues to captivate her audience.
As well as her videos, her songs offer room for discussion about topics such as mental health, sexuality and relationships. As a British singer-song writer and vlogger, her first EP (Extended Play) ‘Intertwined’[iv] was self-released on 18 November 2016. Her second EP, ‘You’, which was released on 11 August 2017. For the most part, the intriguing lyrics and the meaning behind them draw you in. ‘You’ consists of six songs: In the Middle, 6/10, Instrumental, You, Secret for the Mad and Would You Be So Kind. I connected most with the final two (so I shall save the best ones until last) but they all offer significant and aesthetic sound quality.
In the Middle
With a positive openness about her sexuality, this song hints at a personal idea of her two bisexual exes meeting. Lyrics such as “Talk about your taste in women” suggest that her exes would bond over the fact they have Dodie in common. In one of her videos, she spoke about how the three of them would “get along” may not be a fantasy of hers but it should not matter if it is. Although some might not associate with this desire directly, it gives an interesting idea to consider. A fair percentage of her viewers may relate to this fascination. The upbeat rhythm gives the song a fun feeling to it.
6/10
This song portrays the idea about being simply average. At first it was easy to understand the surface of lyrics. Personally, I was neither a popular girl or smartest nerd — I was just average. The song expresses the concept of not feeling ‘enough’. She ‘knows’ that others don’t need her to be around (“I know that you don’t want me here”). It reveals that there is so much more behind the eyes of such a ‘plain girl’. In fact, she is battling with anxiety and personal insecurities which is communicated in the line “can you see the panic inside?” — a heart wrenching thought. It’s this sort of expression that drew me to this emotional ballad. The steady bass note that remains throughout as well as the build of voices adds to the passionate feel of the piece.
Instrumental
With its simplicity and fluidity, “Instrumental” is a beautiful composition of piano melody. As the tune rises and falls, it is accompanied by strings. The tune produces its own twinkle using high and bass notes. As she is an avid fan of the film ‘La La Land’[v] she told her viewers that it was her main influence. She wants to be able to write soundtracks for musicals. Beyond everything else, her talent should definitely be used to its full abilities.
You
Despite the name of the album being ‘You’, I didn’t feel as though I connected to this song as much as the others. Its topic of painful breakup and the love of a specific boy is relatable but the Parisian theme didn’t seem to mesh well with my song choices. But despite this fact, the lyrics are intriguing. For instance, “…now someone’s gonna get to know the better you/ When I was supposed to” which depicts the idea of your ex in another relationship when they should have been with you. But the line which is most appealing is “My heart’s running out of Sellotape” which gives the metaphor that she keeps having to bind her heart back together. The imagery gives the song such an imaginative feeling.
Secret For the Mad
Within one song she has managed to reach out to the individual who is listening and tell them personally that it’s going to be okay. It’s almost as if she’s speaking their mind — taken from experience as she’s been in their position. The line “I get that I don’t get it” emphasises the concept that she knows it’s difficult to explain your mental health to someone else. As a person who goes through upsetting and spaced-out patches, it is loving to hear the words “it will all makes sense again”. The soft piano melody as well as her gentle voice gives the piece such a beautiful feel. The ends of the lines also rhyme which gives such a poetic tone. She intended the “little things” to be ideas such as a good cup of tea or opening the window to hear the rain — two things I absolutely love. It’s so encouraging to hear a song that is based on mental health. Dodie spoke to the journalists of the BBC News[vi] about her depersonalisation when she said “I feel spaced out a lot of the time. I feel like I’m not really here, like I’m living in a dream,” and she continues to voice her feelings on the subject to get the word out.
Would You Be So Kind
This was the first song that I came across when listening to Dodie. Originally it was meant to be bittersweet but, since it was composed, it has taken to a happier feel. The song speaks about the concept of fancying someone and wanting them to love you back. Fans have said that they have used this song convey their feelings to someone. The verse that was most appealing would be “Let’s write a story/Be in my book/You’ve got to join me on my page/ At least take a look” which gives the creative idea of life being a story book. The sweet concept seemed so endearing. The acoustic cover she performed with her friends gives me so much life. It is such an energetic song to end the album with.
This EP can be found on Spotify, YouTube and iTunes. She has also brought out a new EP entitled ‘Human’ as well as a single called ‘If I’m Being Honest’ which you can order and listen to now. When she’s not writing new songs, she is also touring which you can also purchase tickets (as well as merchandise) for. Feel free to follow her on all her various social media pages as well. She’s truly enchanting.
Album rating: 4.5/5
Her official website — https://dodie.co/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/doddleoddle
Twitter -https://twitter.com/doddleoddle
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/doddleoddle/
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/doddleoddle
Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/artist/21TinSsF5ytwsfdyz5VSVS?si=n_2HndyHQL2zPHsuNPS3yw
iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/you-ep/1255318399
Tour — https://dodie.co/#tour
Merchandise — https://dodie.co/#shop
References
[i] https://www.youtube.com/doddleoddle — Her main YouTube channel
[ii] https://www.youtube.com/user/doddlevloggle — Her side, vlogging channel
[iii] https://www.youtube.com/user/dodieVEVO — Her Vevo: her professional, music channel
[iv] https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/intertwined-ep/1164878952 — ‘Intertwined’ available on iTunes
[v] ‘La La Land’. Directed by Damien Chazelle and produced by Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Gary Gilbert and Marc Platt. Released on 9th December, 2016 (United States) and 12 January 2017 (UK).
[vi] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40705512 — Interview with the BBC News on health
