“WANTED TO GO HOME” BY RUBY BELL IS MODERN NEW-WAVE PERFECTION

Ruby Bell has invented a genre of her own. You could call it new-wave, indie pop, or anything in between—there are even hints of ska thrown into the mix. “Wanted To Go Home” celebrates artistic integrity by avoiding the need to succumb to genre-based expectations. Ruby Bell is paving the way for other artists to take the initiative, transforming creative ideas into pure magic.

The intentional use of autotune affirms my stance that it is a creative tool, not a hindrance. Giving Bell this almost robotic, clean tone was a masterful choice; she could articulate her emotions more this way, whereas one might think you’d need to be stripped back more to do so. Instead, this puts us in a modernized perspective. How much is technology overtaking our daily lives, anyway?

Plus, with the rise of Charli XCX’s dance-pop, this take on creative autotune is desperately needed. It gives a Daft Punk-y energy, veering into Kanye West territory just a smidge. These choices give us a glimpse into Ruby Bell’s playlists, which are as eclectic as this single, in the best way possible.

A ska rhythm guitar with punchy electronic drums is crazy, but it works. It’s like Tears For Fears. One day, they bought a Fishbone cassette tape and decided to record it in the studio for fun, creating a hit single.

Lyrically, “Wanted To Go Home” provides vulnerability and duality, two quintessential things when writing about romantic relationships and their many nuances.