In a world where image is everything, Auckland artist Taylor Rocher cuts the bullshit in new single, "costume party," a reflective number that doesn't beg for attention, but demands it softly. With "costume party," Rocher wades into even more emotional territory, as he holds a mirror up to our tendency to compare ourselves to others. It's the sort of theme that walks straight in, sits on that couch, and asks you some uncomfortable questions you'd probably managed to avoid.
Rocher's voice isn't performatory as much as it is confessive, truthful, and purposeful. Every lyric feels deliberate, his voice cutting through with a hushed intensity that's as vulnerable as it is commanding. This is about the masks we put on in order to fit in, to look "enough," to look like we have our shit together. Rocher plumbs this shared emotional experience, the pressure, the competition, the quiet sadness that can follow us home. The emotion is there for everyone to hear, and it's not gonna go away in the wind after the song fades out. And that's where "costume party" really sparkles, it lives in the discomfort, acknowledging the listener's own silent struggles.
For anyone who's ever scrolled through someone else's highlight reel and felt small, this song is a pat on the back, telling you that you're not the only one who feels that way. Taylor Rocher may be coming into his own, but costume party is the sound of an artist already connected with something real and unafraid to dive in. With this song, he doesn't merely reveal a more introspective side, he calls on us to join him in that place.