Lauren Minear’s exposes the cost of perfection with "Perfect Girl"

Lauren Minear, a New York City based singer-song writer has released her new track “Perfect Girl.” And it lands just as sharply in the present, grappling with contemporary expectations imposed on women. “Perfect Girl” is a razor-sharp, darkly playful examination of what it’s like to be constantly required to adjust, adapt, shrink or grow in size based on who is watching.

With wit and intent, Minear takes the subject head on in satire both as shield and spotlight. And instead of feeding a confessionalist narrative, she writes from the perspective of a fictional character, a smart artistic choice that makes the song get to stretch into full exaggeration and irony. "Perfect Girl" offers a character worn down over time by the endless search for this elusive paradise, revealing an original pursuit becoming rid of identity and humanity. 

There’s a knowing humor in the song’s perspective, but it’s of the variety that stings just a bit, laughter with association attached. Minear doesn’t just identify that moment of absurdity, she allows it to unspool in its logic, trusting the listener to find themselves, or society, reflected back in the cracks. “Perfect Girl” is a purposeful re-entry, confident, conceptually minded and not one to shy from putting you on the spot. It’s a reminder of Minear’s ability as a songwriter to engage with weighty topics without sapping her material or personality of their sharpness.

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