American singer and songwriter Audrey Hobert performs outside with her guitar and microphone. Photo available from Wikimedia Commons, via CC0 1.0.
Audrey Hobert is an upcoming artist, who released her debut album, “Who’s The Clown?, on August 15, 2025.” Hobert has previous musical experience with co-writing, as well as adding backing vocals on Gracie Abrams album “The Secret of Us.” She released her debut single “Sue Me” earlier this year, along with two other singles “Bowling Alley” and “Wet Hair”. The success of her album is only growing in popularity after the full release of the album. Although a Summer release, “Sue Me” is skyrocketing this album and its streams, popularizing it this Fall.
“I Like to Touch People”
This song is the perfect opening to the album. It showcases the best of both worlds in terms of mood of the album, and exhibits the common themes throughout the album: whimsy, fun, and the experience of an awkward young woman. While “I Like to Touch People”, could be interpreted as a weird song title, is a fun, upbeat and synth-filled song about craving human companionship and connection, another thematic feature through the album. In an era of music that accentuates melancholic music like Billie Eilish’s and Phoebe Bridgers’, a sanguine-sounding yet emotionally complex album is rare.
The best lyric on this song is “’Cause I grew up with a people pleasing mother so now I have problems.”
“Sue Me”
This song is the most popular single on this album. The upbeat and humorous lyrics of this song make the album witty and relatable. This song is also the biggest earworm on the album as it’s so catchy and clever. The vulnerability in this song is so meaningful and substantial than any other romance song today. This song specifically is empowering because the lyrics allude to shedding your old wings.
The best lyric in this song is “Not that it matters but I’m breaking patterns and getting so good at pilates.”
“Drive”
This song might be the most relatable song on the album. “Drive” describes the vicious cycle of liking someone and realizing they are mediocre at best. The catchy beat and quick paced lyrics don’t distance the listener from the distressing theme of the song, but it amplifies the tone of the song and makes it more relatable.
My favorite lyric in this song is “In a stupid dark room with a bunch of guys/In their dollar store suits like a dumb disguise/It’s a sure thing and I sympathize, got his boring life story memorized/But all that ever seems to get me is six feet down and pushed to the side.”
“Wet Hair”
This song is the third single released for this album. This song is a good mix of nostalgic and upbeat feeling. “Wet Hair” manages to incorporate the thoughts of a self conscious overthinker, yet still makes it sound poetic and organized. The fast paced lyric and clever rhyming is a signature musical style of Hobert, and is really emphasized on this song.
The best lyric on this song is “Over-thinker but it’s okay/Didn’t think that I’d see the day no/I’m not even nervous nothing hurts just burn me at the stake.”
“Bowling Alley”
This song is by far my favorite song on the album. From start to finish, every line is a relatable goof that resembles the thought process of a self-conscious woman. The thing that makes this song so relatable is the back and forth between the lines. The contrast between the positive and negative moods adds to emphasis on the duality of her lyrics, and it goes to show how contradictory one’s confidence can be, especially at such a vulnerable time in your life.
My favorite lyric is “I take the trophy and I Irish goodbye”.
“Thirst Trap”
Second to “Bowling Alley”, this song is the most relatable song showcased on this album. The process of going back and forth between hating oneself and being overconfident is something that many young women face, especially when it comes to relationships. Along with distracting oneself with unhealthy methods, Hobert deep dives into her subconscious and the steps she takes to feel, hence the sultry title “Thirst Traps”.
The best lyric on this song is “But now I listen to my playlist and pretend I’m you/Look at what I post and then pretend I’m you/I’m sick and twisted and borin’/But all yours, so let me adore you.”
“Chateau”
This song stands out from the rest of the album because while it is still creative lyrically and, it’s mellow in comparison to other songs, and showcases more of Hobert’s acapella and vocal talents. “Chateau” also stands out because of its similarity to other artists, such as Lorde. This era of music is hard to revive, but “Chateau” does a perfect job of creating a new sound and beat while notably taking inspiration from other songs.
My favorite lyric on this song is “I saw an indie darlin’ in sunglasses/It’s a party, girl, what are you hidin’ from?”
“Pheobe”
“Pheobe” is the perfect closing song to fit the album. It captures all the highs and lows of girlhood, and highlights the importance of integrity . While the rest of the album is sympathetic, it can sound dejected for new listeners, especially if they don’t understand the cadence of the writing. In this song, Hobert compares herself to Phoebe Buffay from the hit sit-com Friends. This comparison is exemplary, specifically because both women share the same eccentric quirky personality.
My favorite lyric on this song “Had to dig deep inside me/’Til I /found what I was looking for/It was right there inside me/It was beautiful beautiful”.
