I’m really vibing on “Bittersweet,” the latest single from up-and-coming Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast artist Archer. This indie pop is a total earworm with relatable lyrics about one-sided relationship.
“The track itself is about going out of your way to change how you are for the benefit of someone else and the realisation that the whole feeling is bittersweet when it doesn’t work out,” Archer explained. “The story is told in the terms of a relationship that goes sour after miscommunicated expectations which makes it all a bit sassy and fun – I mean not for anyone who takes it to heart though.”
The release of “Bittersweet has been a long time coming. Archer began working on it with Naarm/Melbourne rapper and producer Drest last year, but it wasn’t until they added producer Riverine to the mix that it found its feet.
“Drest and I had worked on the beat in late 2022 but with different lyrics and then kind of worked on other things and the track was left on the shelf. Then in early 2023 we decided to revisit it because the demo was really cool and had heaps of potential,” Archer added. “The chorus started with the line ‘Boy your rings just make your fingers green’ which was a really cool concept to start to workshop the rest of the lyrics around. Once we’d finished the basic idea of the beat and all the lyrics, we brought on Riverine to beef it up and add a little razzle dazzle to the drops. And so that’s how the track became the way it is.”
This is Archer’s first release since 2021, but she says she knows it’s the right time to put more music into the world. Hopefully that means she won’t leave us waiting so long for the follow-up!
Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Meliora Film