Serena Sun is relentless on ‘Shadows on the Ceiling’

Recommended Tracks: “For The Hell Of It”, “Breadcrumbs”
Artists You May Like: GRAE, Selena Gomez, Snail Mail

When Serena Sun was a child, she would spend her days writing and recording covers of her favorite songs. As she got older and started questioning her life and the world around her, she began to make songs from her own point-of-view. She has released nine singles so far, each with moving melodies and emotional lyrics that have captured the attention of Spotify listeners and stations like CBC Music and MTV. Continuing to grow as an artist, songwriter, and producer, Serena is sharing her debut EP, Shadows on the Ceiling, which contains a collection of songs intended to inspire and heal.

Of the five tracks on the EP, three are singles that have been previously released. The first of these is “For the Hell of It,” an indie pop kind of track that addresses commitment in a relationship. Through soft vocals, Serena sings, “Thirty years down the line / Will you wish you were never mine?” and states, “Don’t love me for the hell of it.” This concept comes through again on “Breadcrumbs,” which is about deserving more. Over skittering beats and dramatic chords, Serena shares, “I can’t be the only one who tries / Sick of waiting for you to decide,” knowing that she does not need to settle. Serena also takes charge on “Body,” opening up about a sexual assault situation she went through in college. As she describes the caution she takes around guys who look and behave like her attacker, she also tells him off in the end by singing, “F*ck you for trying to claim my body.”

We close out the EP with the two new singles, making for a fresh and exciting ending. On “I Miss the Old Me,” Serena reflects on who she was before a traumatic event changed her, telling us she “used to like” the older version of herself. The gears shift back to relationships on the final track, “It’s Gonna End,” where Serena sorts through the anxiety of starting a new relationship after getting out of a toxic one. She owns up to the ways she has been sabotaging the relationship on this emotional indie pop ballad, and asks, “Why am I always the one / To pull you in when I call it off / And push you out when you show up?” Still, she is determined to conquer her fears and embrace the love that is present in this new situation, singing, “I should know better / ‘Cause you make me better.”

When discussing Shadows on the Ceiling, Serena explained that the songs are about various traumas from her past. She also shared that she was taking “the first step towards healing” when writing these songs, as they helped her acknowledge the pain that she had been hiding. It is very courageous for Serena to share these experiences and process the emotions on this EP, as opening up to people is daunting, let alone opening up to loads of strangers. In the end, Serena is helping others with her music and honesty, and we look forward to her doing the same with her next release.