You Signed Up for This by Maisie Peters - A Review
By: Mallory Johnson
Maisie Peters released her debut album on August 27th, and I have been listening to it on repeat ever since. It is a pop breakup album, and I am obsessed with it. Maisie is on Ed Sheeran’s new record label, Gingerbread Man Records, which is super cool. The album weaves lyrics about heartbreak, growing up, driving, family, friendship, love, and mental health together in a beautiful way. The songs are very catchy and fun while also being sad if you dig deep into the lyrics. The smart yet heartbreaking lyrics pull you in for a journey. The first song and title track “You Signed Up for This” is very relatable to me, especially the opening lyrics “I am 20 and probably upset right now/I still haven’t got my driver’s license.” The second song called “I’m Trying (Not Friends)” discusses heartbreak after a breakup and trying to move on while trying to be the bigger person. The lyrics “Well I might be bitter and twisted and broken and petty and lying/But at least I'm trying” show the diverse range of emotions that are caused by breakups. The third song on the album, called “John Hughes Movie”, is one of my favorites. It references 80s romantic comedies made by John Hughes (think The Breakfast Club). It discusses a love that is not meant to be. I love the lyric “Cause if you don’t want me/then you're not the one.” The fourth song called “Outdoor Pool” goes back to high school young love and breaks your heart. Maisie sings, “We went swimming in an outdoor pool/and you wouldn't tell a soul at school/I’m just fifteen, I just want you, so that’s cool.” The fifth song is called “Love Him I Don’t” and is all about finally moving on from a bad breakup and toxic relationship. My favorite lyrics in this song are, “Now it’s coming up roses/Kicking up snow/What a long winter/What a bad joke.” and “Everyone else can have him but I won’t.” “Psycho” is the sixth song and another one of my favorites. Maisie calls out a toxic ex who cheated on her. My favorite lyrics in this song are “All kinds of ghosts down in your basement/You made me feel so useful, then so used.” I also love the bridge. My third favorite song on the album is the seventh song called “Boy,” where Maisie iconically calls out a toxic, serial-cheating ex. It is hard to pick a favorite set of lyrics from this song, so here are a few: “In love is something that you’ll never be/And you should take this personally.” and “When I told you you were funny I lied.” and “If I was the last girl on earth/You’d still be weighing up your options.” and finally, “I could be a grown-up/But baby you know what?/Maybe I’ll release this song instead.” Ed Sheeran co-wrote this song with Maisie which I think is fun! The mood shifts completely in the next song called Hollow, which is a heartbreaking song. My favorite lyric is “The casualty of love is the price of being free.” Maisie talks about how heartbroken and hollow she feels after a relationship ends. The ninth song, “Villain,” is equally as heartbreaking as Maisie talks once again about heartbreak. She says that she feels like the villain in the story, and says, “If she’s the girl of your dreams/The best thing you’ve ever seen/Well, what does that make me then? /I’m your villain.” Maisie switches gears for the tenth song called “Brooklyn,” which is about her lovely relationship with her sister Ellen (who she mentions in the first song). My favorite lyric from this song is “If you want to take her out, you're gonna have to ask me first/Come on, have you seen those eyes? /It’s nothing but the best for her.” This song makes me think of my own sister. In the eleventh song, “Elvis Song,” she talks about good memories from a relationship. She says, “In my mind, I hear it and I know nothing’s changed/In my mind, we share earphones on the midnight train.” Maisie sings about feeling bad about not committing to the relationship and how she was the one responsible for ending it. Another one of my favorite songs is the acoustic “Talking to Strangers.” In the song, Maisie sings about how she keeps talking to strangers about her lover. She sings, “Oh, I can’t stop, I can’t just not/Tell the whole wide world and this room/No, I can’t stop, even if I wanted to talking to strangers about you.” The second last song called “Volcano” once again talks about a toxic relationship and is very sad. My favorite line is, “I’ll throw you in a volcano, hope death is sudden.” The last song, called “Tough Act,” is a heartbreaking breakup song that reminds me of the song Fine Line by Harry Styles. She says, “Saying goodbye to a best friend/Is the bad part of the right thing to do.” and “Everybody knows that a breakup/Is better when there’s someone to hate but/You were my favorite way to stay up, and I’d say that still.”
Overall, I am obsessed with this album and believe that it is a very solid debut. My favorite songs are Psycho, Boy, Talking to Strangers, and John Hughes Movie. I give this album a strong 10/10 and highly recommend checking it out! This was the perfect album for the end of the summer.