Junior year, my friend Matt sent a link to a song in a group chat we were in together by an artist that I didn’t really know. I mean, I had heard a couple of this artists’ songs off of his EP, but I did not know he came out with a full length album. The up and coming singer from Detroit, who goes by the name Quinn XCII, creates indie pop music. His debut album The Story Of Us tells, you guessed it, the story of him and a former love. The album reflects on the love and echos that Quinn is not quite over it. His voice is haunting as he questions what went wrong in a relationship that seemed to work so well. The two songs that resinate with me the most are titled “Flare Guns” and “Always Been You”.

“Flare Guns” is a duet with Chelsea Cutler, where both her and Quinn sing about how they feel like they are to blame for how the relationship ended. Because of this, they both feel the need to reach out to each other for clarity and cannot let go of the past. The chorus is sung by Cutler and Quinn, together and separately, and it goes “Flare guns go off in my head/Saying not to call you this late/Still I dial those numbers every time/Why do I replay those messages/That you left at the tone last May?/Slowly wishing you were never mine”. The listener can hear the pain in their voices as they go back and fourth singing the chorus. They are both disappointed that they continually give in and contact the other person, so much so that they wish they never met each other. Cutler echos “Why am I still holding on?/I’m still holding on”, showing that her emotions are getting the best of her, and she too is confused about where she is in regard to this relationship. Even though this song is about a romantic relationship, some of the lyrics can still be related to friendships that went south. This widens the audience that can relate to Quinn’s music, which I respect, since not everyone would be able to relate to a romantic relationship that ends in the way “Flare Guns” described.

“Always Been You” is the last track on the album. It is a very personal song, where Quinn details that he is still in love with a girl who seems like she does not remember who he is. The pre-chorus and beginning of the chorus show this hurt, when he sings “Am I wasting my breath?/You’re not even upset/When’s the last that you/Called me just to say hi?”. Quinn goes on to describe other things that are on his mind, ideas that he is overthinking post-breakup. He cannot deal with the fact that him and this girl are not right for each other, and that this girl is actually not the one for him. It is heartbreaking to hear this concept, and it’s a constant idea that runs through the whole album. Since this album came out in 2017, Quinn XCII has released his second album, and it’s a little happier. But as a whole, it’s not as fluid overall and touches on many different concepts. The Story Of Us will always have a special place in my heart, since it was the one that made me fall in love with this artist. If you haven’t heard of Quinn XCII and enjoy sad pop music, definitely check out this album.