Meet SMWN (pronounced ‘someone’), the new creative project of the viral artist Prince Fox, previously known for working alongside household names like Hailee Steinfeld, Bella Thorne, Quinn XCII, YG, Ella Vos, and several others. From Rick Rubin tweeting his remix of Florence and the Machine to being the number one artist on Billboard’s Emerging Artists list, Prince Fox has seen quite a remarkable few years. But he’s now ready to rebrand and branch out of the “dance drops” he’s known for in his past releases to release music with a message.
The New York-born and bred Sam Lassner first picked up a guitar at the age of seven but quickly gave it up for life on the ice rink, before returning back to it when he was 13. Sam went on to study music at NYU where his Prince Fox project was born in his dorm room at Lafayette Hall. The Prince Fox project opened several doors for him and led to collaborations with several notable artists shaping the type of artist he strives to emulate.
SMWN is a culmination of those experiences, lessons, and growth as an artist. Sam puts his best foot forward with his SMWN project which is teed up to quickly eclipse that of Prince Fox in the years to come.
“Somebody Else” is his confessional debut to this new project. Fusing live instruments and electronic elements, this indie-pop heartstring-puller authentically captures a feeling that is so normal and human, making it feel safe and okay. It’s a feeling of wanting to be somebody else sometimes. Sam divulges,
I just wanted to talk about my experience of becoming someone else in Los Angeles, and becoming a product of my surroundings… for better or worse. It felt like a fitting way to start the project that conceptually has been about becoming someone else through my shortcomings, my notions of self-worth (or lack thereof), and my desire to be able to do it all over again, with the knowledge that I have now.
The track starts off with an early 2000’s pop-punk vibe thanks to resonating guitar strums and rich synth lines. Echoing vocals back the main vocals, which have a firm tone despite the uncertainty of the lyrics. The relatable chorus introduces more bright guitar chords and cheerful electronic elements. In an age where social media is so far-reaching and has such an effect on our self-imagery, the honest message in this song, layered over shimmery production, lets us know that we’re not alone when we feel like we want to be someone else. That it’s okay to feel that way because so many of us do and it’s a normal part of finding our true selves.
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