“Liars And Fakes” by Mila Smith is a phenomenal pop song in the same sonic vein as Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now.” They both feature fantastic bass lines with nu-disco elements in the production, and they both feature two down-choruses before the final full chorus brings a rush of serotonin. The listener finally gets what they’ve been hoping for the whole song. Both songs also lyrically discuss relationship issues, but they’re not as close lyrically as they are sonically. “Liars And Fakes” is more about platonic friendships than romantic relationships.
It’s important to note just how much support Mila Smith has. The sixteen year-old from Cape Town, South Africa, has been on the radar of Platoon, Apple’s creative artist services company, since she was thirteen. Of course, an artist doesn’t get that much support or following unless they are supremely talented. Mila Smith is absolutely that talented.
While the lyrics are spot-on in some places and a little iffy in others, there is no denying the power of Smith‘s voice. It sounds like she has been perfecting it from a young age – younger than sixteen, anyway – and the place it has gotten to in that time-frame is astounding. While the instrumental and the production sound similar to things that have been done before (see the earlier allusion to “Don’t Start Now”), Smith’s voice is what makes the song sound like her own. There are certain intricacies to the way she pronounces some words and different vocal techniques she uses particularly in the final chorus that make it apparent she isn’t just some knock-off of another pop artist.
This is one song that proves the future of pop music can still lie in the positive sound with sadder, more introspective lyrics. Whether or not the industry pivots back to it is immaterial, as there will always be an audience for it. When that bass hits, all the troubles of the world melt away, and Mila Smith will be leading the charge from South Africa.
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