Rowena Fysx is garnering quiet success in the Toronto area. Her Filipino-Canadian background gives her a slight edge that I was initially intrigued by. I discovered her on Instagram in the ‘audios’ section, and upon reaching her page, I observed a heavy focus on visual narratives. Single after single, Fysx is building her discography to be something you can’t forget. Her recent EP, don’t text me back, including two of her previous singles, “dazed” and “intention for you,” is mixed and produced by Fysx herself. Let’s get into it.
The opening single, “crush” is a breathy expression of what having an infatuation toward someone feels like. You’re stuck in this space of limbo where it’s a push-pull of “check your phone” to “don’t, don’t text me back” –but you secretly want to be there. The xylophone that fades into the beginning sounds like raindrops over a lo-fi tone and muffled vocals. Fsyx’s lullaby voice blends with one stacked over the next to create a dreamlike state of mind, like when thinking about your crush.
“All over you” has a simple backtrack of synth keyboards, highlighting Fsyx’s falsetto in the lyrics “My love is all, over you (all over).” She experiments with a musical technique called looping to create texture, resembling pop singer Ariana Grande. There is a taste of R&B elements combined with alternative dreamscapes. She allows a sultry mood to be evoked with this approach. Within the lyricism, it feeds the idea of feeling lust and desire toward someone, craving their full attention at that moment.
The first song I heard by Fysx was “intention for you.” I was immediately interested in the rest of her music. Reminiscent of the Spanish-influenced band The Marías, Fysx plays with retrospection in a harmonious marriage of lo-fi, R&B, and dream pop. Her vocals are subtly reverbed with whispered ad libs, adding a quality of lushness that fits seamlessly with the slow and dragged beats. The lyrics, though soft-spoken, carry an emotional weight that resonates deeply in lines like, “What does it take to prove // I yearn for you // Preserving my pride.”
Fysx can create rhythmically textured production while maintaining a level of minimalism. Layers of vocals fall like petals on a rose, offering a seductive, siren-like melody to each track. This is primarily heard in “no signal,” where her voice ebbs and flows like a deep inhale and exhale. Her lyrical storytelling in this track touches on a deep sense of emotional release and vulnerable introspection. There’s intimacy in her words (“I have to remind you to call me beautiful”), yet they float effortlessly, giving the track an ethereal soundscape. I feel as though this is the interlude of the EP.
“Dazed,” being the first single released before the EP, encapsulates each music genre, vocal technique, and music accompaniment displayed within the 6 tracks. Not only do the alternative soundscapes set the mood for the EP, but Fsyx’s sonic qualities embody the hypnotic undertone of electronic and ambient pop. “Dazed” is seductive both in melody and lyricism, this time with confidence in lines such as, “Tell me that you love me // While you do unholy things // To my body .”
Closing the EP with “passion 4 u,” this track is ghostly and alluring. There’s an eerie quality created by chords in a minor key and a deep rumble from the synth pads. Fysx creates haunting vocals with synthy textures to leave a lingering feel on the listener. With only 10 verse lines, multiple layers, from backing to harmonies, allow that kind of simplicity in words. It’s almost as if the phrases “passion for you” and “probably never think of me” take on the duality of functioning melodically while providing vocal integrity to the track.
Don’t text me back impressively showcasing Fysx’s vocals and ability to mix and produce her own songs. While bearing similarities to other alternative and pop artists, she possesses her unique sound that feels like a mix of everything she has experienced and absorbed, blending elements of lo-fi, R&B, and dream pop into a cohesive EP. This distinctive style invites listeners into her personal narrative, making each track an intimate exploration of emotions and influences. Rowena Fysx will definitely leave a lasting impression.
Listen to Fysx on Spotify, here:
rachel liu
As a girl in her twenty-somethings, Rachel enjoys the creative fantasies of writing and listening to music. She began her journey in the digital music space as a writer for blogs under Laura’s playlists and is continuing under Daybreak.
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