‘Simple Like 17’ Album Review: Sadie Jean’s Catchy Tunes from TikTok and the Teenage Years

Sadie Jean is truly a pop artist of the TikTok era. After releasing her first single “WYD Now?” in 2021, Jean — then a student at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music — took to the social media site to publicize the track. Tapping into the wealth of promotional strategies on the short-form video platform, Jean issued an open verse challenge; a format in which an artist begins part of a song before dropping out, inviting other creators to add their own verse. The catchy teenage breakup song inspired duets from both mainstream artists like Lil Yachty and online personalities like “Open Verse King” Zai1k, garnering millions of views and instantly turning Jean into a TikTok star.

Two years after going viral, Sadie Jean released her first EP “Simple Like 17” on Dec. 1. The seven-track project builds on the melodies showcased in “WYD Now?” and explores similar themes. In all the tracks, Jean’s mellow, sweet voice wavers over gentle pop beats as she sings vulnerably about teenage angst, breakups and growing pains galore. Though the album is largely uniform in tone, it showcases Jean’s talent for writing neatly-packaged and personal songs. It’s a welcome second introduction for an artist whose music is more than just a soundtrack for scrolling through a social media feed.

The EP starts in a familiar place with the recently dubed TikTok canon “WYD Now?”. Jean’s earnest, confessional voice immediately stands out in the quiet introduction as she wistfully remembers an ex. Her words flow deftly from memory to memory to construct a wistful portrait of her relationship: “And I've been looking for love online / And maybe some of them are real good guys / They're never gonna be like you though.” The lyrics, squarely situated in Gen Z young adulthood, feel superficial at times, but Jean sings in a genuine tone that makes her words still feel confessional and honest. A gentle piano drives the song from hook to chorus, when catchy electronic beats kick in to layer densely under Jean’s rising vocals: “I don't wanna be twenty-something / And still in my head about / Seventeen in my bedroom talking.” Though the production largely sticks to tried and true pop ballad motifs, it creatively uses delayed downbeats and abrupt phrase-endings to build tension through the track.

Though “WYD Now?” feels comfortable with its standard pop ballad label, other songs on the release showcase Jean’s ear for acoustic textures. “Locksmith”starts with driving acoustic guitar chords punctuated by a twangy riff. By the chorus, the sound palette grows to include a full rock backing, along with some electronic pads still in the mix. “October 25th” features waltzing finger-picked guitar and Jean’s reflections on feeling stuck in the past: “I'm openin' wounds for the closure / And I made the bed that I'm in / Yeah, I let me get hurt again.” It’s the sparsest song on the EP, featuring only a few instruments in the chorus. Yet, it’s one of the more enjoyable listens, substituting crowded hooks for more open, ringing tones.

On her record label biography, Jean lists Joni Mitchell, Taylor Swift, and Phoebe Bridgers as inspirations. The folk and country influence peeks out on these acoustic tracks, and they blend well with pop production elements to produce a diverse and engaging listen. Like her muses, Jean’s explorations of the boundary of electronic effects and an acoustic guitar promise to be the foundation of more exciting work to come.

What remains unclear from “Simple Like 17” is future thematic directions in Jean’s songwriting. Nearly every song on the record mentions being seventeen, or sixteen, and usually in the context of a teenage breakup. The title track is a catchy upbeat melody, buoyed by slap guitar and creative sampling of backing vocals, that closes the EP. It’s a satisfying send-off that feels like a farewell to the teenage years that are front and center on the project. “Nothin' will ever hurt like bein' a lesson learned / And thinkin' it coulda worked if we were older / But nothin' will ever be simple like seventeen,” concludes Jean. After bidding farewell to the EP, the challenge for Jean is to imbue her catchy melodies with a more diverse array of themes and perspectives. No one is seventeen forever; it’s hard to sing about being seventeen forever, too.

“Simple Like 17” is a promising formal introduction to Sadie Jean’s music. It paints a detailed, personal portrait of teenage angst while displaying foundations of exciting sonic combinations to come. Though TikTok is often associated with the commodification of music, Jean’s EP showcases the platform’s ability to introduce new voices to listeners.

—Staff writer Andrew K. Choe can be reached at andrew.choe@thecrimson.com.