B-Side Guys

Ten minutes isn’t much time to construct a world, but SOZI manages it anyway. DREAM operates with the efficiency of someone who knows exactly what they’re building—a contained universe where summer becomes a state of mind rather than a season, where every shimmering surface hides something more complicated underneath. The Los Angeles artist wrote, produced, and co-mixed all four tracks herself, and that total creative autonomy manifests as remarkable cohesion. Nothing here sounds compromised or committee-approved. This is pop music with a specific vision, executed without hesitation.

“Superstar” establishes the EP’s central tension immediately: the gap between wanting to be seen and the hollowness that often follows visibility. Disco elements provide the glittery exterior, all mirror balls and dance floor promise, but the emotional core acknowledges what validation actually costs. SOZI’s production balances euphoria with melancholy in ways that shouldn’t coexist but do—the track sparkles while simultaneously admitting that sparkle isn’t enough. The awareness prevents the song from becoming pure escapism, grounding the fantasy in something recognizable.

That grounding becomes essential for “Out Of The Blue,” which transforms betrayal into deep house momentum. The synth work here nods to classic house production while maintaining contemporary clarity, creating nostalgia without pastiche. SOZI captures the disorienting rush of unexpected heartbreak—the way it sweeps through your system before your brain catches up to what’s happening. The production mirrors that emotional flooding, building intensity that feels inevitable rather than manipulated. The shift from dream to nightmare happens gradually enough that you don’t notice the transition until you’re already inside it.

“Good Girl” pivots hard, trading earnestness for sharp-edged confidence. The tongue-in-cheek delivery here works because it’s rooted in real frustration—the experience of following every rule, maintaining composure, and still being misunderstood. The catchiness doesn’t undercut the attitude; it amplifies it. SOZI demonstrates range not just in production approach but in persona, proving she can inhabit different emotional registers without losing coherence. The boldness feels earned rather than performed, a necessary pushback against the preceding vulnerability.

“Lost In You” closes the EP by stripping away the dance-pop armor. The tempo drops, the production thins out, and suddenly you’re in entirely different territory—intimate, hazy, deliberately smaller. The track explores consumption rather than connection, documenting what happens when desire crosses into obliteration. After three tracks of movement and energy, this stillness hits harder. SOZI’s decision to end on her most vulnerable moment rather than a triumphant closer shows confidence in her sequencing instincts. The EP concludes not with resolution but with continued questioning.

What SOZI accomplishes in production terms deserves specific attention. Solo-producing a full EP while maintaining this level of polish and sonic diversity isn’t common, particularly for an artist this early in their career. The arrangements demonstrate understanding of how space functions in pop music—when to fill it completely and when to let elements breathe. The mix choices prioritize clarity without sacrificing warmth, keeping the electronics present without overwhelming the vocals. Co-mixing with Cameron Taylor, she achieves professional sheen while retaining the intimacy that makes these songs work emotionally.

The Seasons Project framework—of which DREAM represents the summer installment—provides conceptual structure without becoming gimmicky. Summer here isn’t beach parties and carefree joy; it’s heat that distorts reality, brightness that blinds, the season when everything feels heightened and slightly unreal. Each track captures a different facet of that distortion: the fantasy of fame, the shock of betrayal, the rebellion against expectation, the dissolution of boundaries between self and other.

SOZI’s recognition by the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY NEXT Class of 2025 makes sense in this context. She’s building pop infrastructure from the ground up—writing, producing, engineering, designing her own cover art—while maintaining artistic vision that extends beyond individual releases. She’s also cultivated a dedicated fan community called the Sunflower SOZIety, giving supporters early access to releases and creating direct connection outside traditional industry channels. That approach signals an artist thinking about long-term relationship building rather than viral moment chasing. This EP exists as part of larger architecture, not as isolated content.

The brevity works in DREAM‘s favor. At just over ten minutes, nothing overstays its welcome or requires editing. Each track occupies exactly the space it needs before moving to the next emotional territory. The EP format allows SOZI to explore ideas thoroughly without the pressure of album-length endurance. Four strong songs beat ten mediocre ones, and the conciseness here demonstrates editorial discipline that many artists take years to develop.

DREAM functions as both sonic experience and emotional document, examining desire through multiple lenses without settling on easy answers. SOZI doesn’t moralize about fantasy or pretend awakening from illusion provides simple relief. She just maps the territory—the highs that draw us in, the betrayals that shock us awake, the defiance we summon in response, the dissolution we sometimes crave despite knowing better. The EP title captures that duality: dreams as aspiration and dreams as delusion, the state you chase and the state you eventually, inevitably, leave behind. SOZI understands the difference, and more importantly, understands why we keep choosing to dream anyway.