B-Side Guys

In an industry where female producers remain woefully underrepresented, LA-based artist SOZI emerges not just as a compelling voice but as a complete creative force. Her debut EP “BLOOM” arrives as the first installment in an ambitious four-part “Seasons” project, with SOZI handling writing, production, and co-mixing duties throughout. The result is a remarkably cohesive thirteen-minute journey that transforms the universal anxiety of growth into prismatic pop that feels both intimate and expansive.

The EP opens with “Seconds,” where rippling production elements mirror the song’s central theme of time slipping through fingers. “How do the seconds turn to minutes when I just woke up?” SOZI questions over a bed of crystalline synths and propulsive percussion. The production choice to layer vocals creates a sense of thoughts overlapping, perfectly capturing the mental state of someone watching life accelerate beyond their control. When she confesses, “My jar of happy thoughts been empty with the loss / I’m paralyzed while everyone around me blooms,” the vulnerability in her delivery cuts through the polished sonic landscape, creating a moment of startling emotional clarity.

“Fall Away” shifts the narrative toward release, with SOZI crafting a sonic environment that gradually opens up as the song progresses. The production here demonstrates her technical prowess—particularly in how the chorus expands outward with each repetition, mirroring the lyrical theme of letting go. The line “Let it all just fade away and be unafraid / You’re not alone” serves as both comfort and gentle command, delivered with a warmth that transforms self-help platitude into genuine emotional resonance.

The EP’s most sonically adventurous moment arrives with “Just For A Minute,” where SOZI’s production creates a dreamlike atmosphere that perfectly complements the escapist lyrics. The tension between the grounding rhythm section and floating synthesizers creates the sensation of being simultaneously tethered and weightless. Her evocative imagery—”Anxiety wrapped in flowers and ribbons”—showcases her gift for finding beauty in emotional struggle, while the chorus’s fantastical wishes (“Floating with the aliens / Cause just for a minute / I wanna wear the crown”) balance childlike wonder with adult yearning.

The collection concludes with “Set Me Free,” where SOZI’s production takes on a more assertive edge. The insistent rhythm and strategic use of space in the arrangement create an irresistible forward momentum that embodies the song’s theme of breaking constraints. When she repeats “Set me free” in the chorus, each iteration feels more determined than the last, the production building alongside her resolve.

What distinguishes “BLOOM” from similar pop releases is SOZI’s comprehensive artistic vision. As writer, producer, and co-mixer, she’s created a sonic world that feels entirely her own—cohesive yet varied, polished yet authentic. Her production choices consistently serve the emotional core of each song, demonstrating a rare instinct for knowing when to add elements and when to subtract them.

This holistic approach extended to the EP’s release celebration, “The Bloom Experience,” held at Pasadena’s Madeline Garden. Rather than opting for a traditional release party, SOZI reimagined her music through acoustic arrangements featuring harp and guitar, creating yet another dimension to these already multifaceted songs. The afternoon tea setting—complete with thoughtfully curated refreshments and gift bags—reflected the EP’s themes of growth and transformation in a tangible, communal environment.

At just over thirteen minutes, “BLOOM” is brief but complete—a perfectly formed tetraptych examining different aspects of personal evolution. Like its botanical namesake, the EP captures the beauty of opening up, even when that process involves pain. “I wish I knew if I was on the right track,” SOZI confesses in “Seconds,” a sentiment that will resonate with anyone navigating uncertainty. By the EP’s conclusion, she hasn’t found definitive answers, but has embraced the questions themselves as essential to growth—suggesting that blooming isn’t a destination but an ongoing process of becoming.