Review: Lindsay Lohan's 'Back to Me' is a Dance Song That's Done Its Homework
The cultural icon has clearly spent her time abroad well, cultivating a sophisticated and uniquely European sound that may be unfamiliar to American audiences.
It was in the first 30 seconds of Lindsay Lohan’s latest single, ‘Back to Me’, that I felt it. It was a warm rush of specific familiarity I hadn’t thought about nor experienced in a long while. The scenario: a sunset party at someone’s farm in the hillsides of Glarus, a rural part of Switzerland. This is the part of Europe that is deeply motivated by modernity and contemporary life (everyone has top WiFi, iPhones, and so on), but the day to day life is rooted in tradition, routine, and regularity. The physical nature of the Europe lends itself as a obstacle as much as it offers a gift.
The sunset party, hosted above a large lake, was a Saturday night tradition, but the sounds and energy is always very modern. It was in some sense rebellious- booming music in a local world that otherwise prizes quiet. The tone of the music was always a bit whimsical and melodic (think, All Day I Dream, Adjunadeep). The music would enjoy a stroke of melancholy, but never a sense of regret.
So here I am, far away from those pleasant memories, suddenly thrown back to it by the grace of none other than Lindsay Lohan. I can only credit Lohan’s advanced understanding of the European club music scene to her legitimate experiences, having established a club presence in very-global Ibiza and now the much more local Athens and Mykonos scene. Lindsay’s globetrotting might have filled tabloids, but it’s absolutely clear she’s taken something away from the cultures she’s been immersed in, given how comfortable she sounds on a song that would could not sound any less American.
With startling vocal modulation not used so effectively since Britney Spear’s experimental “Blackout” album (2007), Lindsay kicks things off with production that feels like a confessional taking place in the backroom of a club, muted synths and echo-y shouts let Lindsay’s voice come through. Soon she steps out, a pulsing synth shifts into high gear until the modulated, repeating Lindsay spins into oblivion and into a tasteful splash of percussion. ‘Back to Me’ was written by Alma, Chiara Hunter and Mark Ralph, who also produced the song.
What is so effective here is the octave jump and harmonizing in the second round of repeated “back to me”, allowing the listener to settle into the spacious hypnosis that Lindsay has concocted for an extra measure. One legitimately loses track of time, credit to the sheer repetition of “back to me” mixed with the variety of stylistic treatments to the chant and careful introduction of percussion elements. The combination is remarkably effective altogether. A bassline that somehow digs ever deeper throughout the song only adds to the power. The pacing of the song itself is wave-like, going from thoughtful floating to absolute dancefloor euphoria.
But then there are the lyrics, focusing on self control, redemption, celebration, and triumph. These are favorite topics of the European club scene. It’s the subtle melancholy, offered without regret, but solemn triumph.
‘Back to Me’ by Lindsay Lohan is streaming on all platforms and available for purchase.
Stream ‘Back to Me’ on Spotify here.