Danish singer-songwriter eee gee’s first single, “Favorite Lover,” has a lot more going on than a typical pop debut. The track is driven by an echoing bass guitar line, the centerpiece of a minimalist arrangement with plenty of reverb to fill the empty space.
This sparseness keeps all of the attention on eee gee’s vocals, an opportunity which she takes full advantage of. Her voice has a warm, rich, and slightly dark tone, similar to other alt-pop torch song singers in the vein of Lana Del Rey or Lorde, and she shows it off tastefully with runs and vocalizations between phrases, even extending or altering the melody into the space before the following line. Like her demonstrable influences, eee gee has a mournful edge to her voice, which adds further depth to her already multi-layered lyrics.
“Favorite Lover” is a song about embracing self-love, and having the confidence to turn down promising opportunities in the name of growth and self-care. That decision is often not an easy one to make, which eee gee captures vividly, spending as much time contemplating her disappointment at what she is turning down as she does her well-developed rationale for her decision. The somberness of her delivery draws further attention to the sacrifices made in choosing oneself over a partner.
The melody also includes contrasting moods, with a mellow verse that breaks open into a more positive-sounding chorus. They contrast with lyrics that frequently emphasis the unhappy necessity of being alone for one’s own sake, but when combined with the contrasting emotions running throughout the song, it furthers the song’s emotional complexity.
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