Desire, I Want To Turn Into You: A Pop Masterpiece
Pop music in perfection
The 2020s so far have seen many amazing albums, especially in the pop scene. While we've gotten plenty of amazing albums in mainstream pop, it's the ones without major chart success that often have stood out to me the most. One of them is Caroline Polachek's Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, released in 2023. Blending a versatile mix of genres with a great cohesive vision, the album is a true standout. I've been wanting to talk about it for quite some time, and today is finally the day.
Caroline Polachek, formerly one-half of the indie band Chairlift, has always approached pop from a slightly different angle. Her solo debut album Pang was already outstanding. It blended experimental electronic production with stunning vocals and very personal lyrics. It is an excellent and very original album, which is quite unusual for a debut. With So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings, she released one of the best songs of that year for me.
With Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, she took everything even further. The production is bolder, the influences are more versatile, and the vision feels even more complete. It feels like one of those albums we will consider future classics.
Breaking Down Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is a production masterpiece. Blending together a wide range of genres, it creates a soundscape that is nothing less than its own sonic universe. Introducing the album is Welcome to My Island, which features an incredibly catchy synth production, along with an amazing vocal performance by Caroline. Pretty In Possible moves gently over an another addictive synth melody, supported by smooth and catchy vocals that melt into the beat like they are part of it.
Meanwhile, Bunny Is a Rider is a catchy, warm art-pop track with some dembow influence, followed up by Sunset, which is a smooth and groovy, flamenco-inspired track. Billions, on the other hand, comes with a trademark OPN production, featuring hypnotic strings and perfected with Caroline's admirable vocal effects and heavenly background vocals. On Smoke, she’s crashing in with full energy on what I can only describe as a minutes-long therapy for your ears.
The sheer variety and the excellent execution of the song productions are thanks to the amazing work duo of Caroline and producer Danny L. Harle. When bagpipes close the harmony of Caroline's vocals on Blood and Butter, high-energy electronics run through I Believe, or the fragile image of Hopedrunk Everasking is supported by the quiet sounds of a smoke detector, it's only because both of them are outstanding musical geniuses.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this album is the perspective on desire and the sensuality of the songs. Most songs on here are about love, relationships, and obviously about desire. But instead of repeating the same cassette like others do, Caroline takes things from a different approach. Instead of calling out those who once broke her heart, she often tends to let go faster. She acknowledges the feelings she has, but also shows maturity in moving on or being at peace with them. She puts value on deeper connection, self-reflection, and inner love, and doesn't shy away from recognizing those intense emotions she is dealing with. Neither does she oversexualize the word desire, but rather reflects on it as an inner longing on which you can count while you move on.
From falling to false promises, like the illusions on Sunset - "Cause every spiral brings me back into your arms again" - to dedicating I Believe to her late friend SOPHIE - "You made it home / With silver string unbroken / Ain’t that the sweetest gift?" - Caroline invites us into deeply personal moments with vulnerability and grace.
Throughout the album, she manages to bring those emotions close to the listener, which is partly due to the production that transports those emotions, but also because of her amazing songwriting skills. Not forgetting to mention her incredible vocal skills, as well as the stunning vocal effects she uses, making her voice its own instrument within the beat.
If I had to describe Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, I would say it feels like a journey through some of your deepest emotions. Therefore, it's no surprise that we experience sunny beaches on Sunset, but also colder and darker ones on songs like Crude Drawing of an Angel. The sounds of the album are always meant to reflect the emotions on our way. Some are light, beautiful, and make us happy; others are dark, more complex, and twisted. Some reflect our own fault; others draw us in innocence - "Draw your wings from your back / I'll not be shy, no, I'll not be gentle with you."
But what stays the same throughout is Caroline's determination and maturity to handle those different emotions.
It’s no large surprise that Desire, I Want To Turn Into You was met with widespread critical acclaim. Many praised the album’s bold production, the use of different genres, and Caroline Polachek's stunning vocals. Critics from The Guardian, Pitchfork, and NME gave the album great reviews, especially for its cohesive vision and emotional depth.
While it didn’t dominate the charts, it quickly became a favorite within the pop community and to no surprise, ended up on several year-end lists of 2023 (mine included).
With it, Caroline once again proved that she is one of the most innovative and exciting voices in alternative and art-pop today.
In terms of art and vision, she released an incredible album, one I would personally describe as a modern pop classic, or a true pop masterpiece.
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is not just an excellent album, but a statement.
It showcases how pop music can be experimental, take different influences, and combine them into a cohesive, emotional concept and all while not losing any of its catchiness. While Pang already made clear that Caroline isn’t your ordinary pop star, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You should be enough to establish her at the top of art-pop for the coming years. She isn’t afraid of challenges, experimentation, or making unusual decisions. In a time where many albums seek maximum streams, this album seeks nothing more than a deep connection with its listener.
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aoty
I’m glad people are talking about this masterpiece, nothing makes me dance like Bunny Is A Rider