We have all had a weird 2020 thanks to the global pandemic that has turned our lives upside down. But Sam Fischer has had an extremely weird year after a song he released in 2018 became a viral hit two years later thanks to TikTok. With the chapter closed in his mind on the success of the song, it was suddenly re-opened and took on a life of it’s own.
‘This City’ exploded during the first half of the year with its emotional heart being represented through so many different interpretations. Following its initial resurgence in success, he recorded a variation of duets with the likes of Kane Brown, Anne-Marie, Nea, Nico Santos and Camilo. While this gave the song fresh new perspective, his fans were impatiently waiting new music to get emotional over, and rightfully so as it had been two years in between new music.
Luckily for them, his new EP ‘Homework’ is finally here, and there are five new songs for them to soak their heavy feelings in. Each song on this collection is emotional in their own unique way. They are all intimately vulnerable, and invite listeners to hear new sides of his artistry and personality.
Following ‘The City’ which poignantly opens the EP, Fischer immediately gives listeners one of his most vulnerable tracks yet, ‘The Usual’. Reflecting on the day he was dropped from his previous label, he transports this storyline into a heartbreak sentiment, and will have your heart feeling heavy through it’s emotional vocal delivery, minimalist production, and relatable lyrics.
“But I saw this in a vision. I was warned, but I don’t listen. Now I found myself back at the start again” he emotively sings.
‘I Got To Live’ then gets heavy in a different sense as he ponders the thought of death. Questioning if he was to die today if he would be happy with how he approached life, there is a nostalgic feel to the delivery, and the conscious stream of thoughts. And then ‘Ready’ shows some light as he expresses to someone that he wants to love them if they will allow him to do so.
With it becoming apparent that he knows how to write an emotive ballad, he does experiment with his production and writing style on a couple of songs. ‘Everybody’s Got Somebody’ exudes this moody attitude with DIY production that is darker than the ballads that surround it. He addresses the people in our lives that leave a big impact, in not the best ways. “Cause evеrybody has somebody who fucks them up for someone new. Everybody has somebody they almost wish they never knew”.
And then on the short EP closer ‘People I Don’t Know’ he self reflects on the way he judges people that are just like him, and that they probably do the same thing about him. It’s a social commentary on how social media has made it more acceptable to be this bad version of yourself, but at the end of the day we can stop it if we just make ourselves more aware. “Oh, I talk shit about people I don’t know, who are just like me. I talk shit about people in my phone, who are just like me. They live and they dress like me, dying to impress like me” he sings.
‘Homework’ is a strong re-introduction to who Sam Fischer is as an artist. The six track collection shows listeners that he is more than just one viral song. He’s a talented songwriter who captures emotions in such a pure and organic way, while also fine tuning a real pop sensibility that makes these hooks so memorable.