For much of the past few years, Alejandro Aranda, aka Scarypoolparty, has lived in near-constant motion, barely pausing to catch his breath as he rocketed from playing bars and backyards to sold-out headline tours and massive festival stages. And while the widespread critical acclaim and tens of millions of streams he’s racked up along the way would seem to suggest that Aranda thrives on the chaos of the road, “Home,” his enthralling new single, and Los Angeles, his captivating new EP, stand as proof that stillness suits him just as well. Recorded alone at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the songs are the product of a life—and a world—put on pause, works of raw, introspective honesty fueled by probing lyrics and addictive hooks. Drawing on everything from pop and hip-hop to R&B and classical music, the tracks are deceivingly bright, wrapping weighty themes and deep personal revelations in dazzling productions that belie their hefty emotional punch. Aranda is certainly no stranger to baring his soul in his music by now, but this new material is undoubtedly Scarypoolparty’s most candid yet, facing down anxiety, isolation, and disillusionment with its heart affixed firmly to its sleeve
