If you’ve recently broken up with a partner – or not necessarily recently; if you’ve ever had a broken heart –, there’s a place you can check-in: Luna Morgenstern’s heartbreak hotel. The six-track record blends genres seamlessly as she navigates through grief, loss, and nostalgia. Her feelings are clear from the get-go; in the opening song, hush hush, she starts: “don’t wanna let go / like we’re a memory from the past / how can I hold on / if you believe that we’re not meant to last.” Relatable, isn’t it?
Something we admire from artists is when they open up about their innermost feelings, concerns, and experiences. It brings us closer to them because, at the end of the day, we’re all human and suffer from the same aches. Heartbreak is one of the most common, and probably inspiring, for musicians. Luna Morgenstern proves this once again in her new EP. In it, the German-born singer and songwriter uses her ‘heartbreak hotel’ as a metaphor of her mind, and each song opens the door to a different room of her pain while she reflects on the complex process of parting ways with someone you’ve had a long-term relationship.
At first, it might be shocking to listeners that Luna uses more upbeat or club-oriented bases in her songs while the lyrics are so vulnerable. But in her own words, “I like playing with contrasting elements in my songwriting and production.” This is apparent as UK garage beats or heavy synths underline lyrics that are sad and extremely personal. “I am a huge sucker for a melancholic dance moment too,” Luna goes on to say. “I wanted to capture that feeling of crying while dancing in a crowd full of strangers in every tune.”
From the reggaeton-inspired rhythms in hush hush to the club-ready somebody else, to the cathartic ending of free/fall with a spoken outro, Luna has crafted an EP that shows her versatility and passion for different genres, all the while opening her heart to everyone.