As of last week, alternative artist Sasha Sloan released her well-awaited album, “Only Child.” All of the 10 songs on the album act as a breeding ground for the unspoken, philosophical thoughts that restrained the artist for the majority of her life. “Only Child” has attracted a wave of support and relatability from fans, achieving Sloan’s overall goal of intimacy. 

The album functions as a lens to the intricacies and memories that sculpted Sloan in her music and personal life. From her angsty teenage years to her 25-year-old realizations, the album covers it all. Sloan highlights being an only child and fuses this idea into the majority of the tracks.“It’s defined me; like my cynicism, being selfish,” said Sloan. “It also meant having no one to talk to about my parents.”

The relationship between Sloan’s parents becomes a recurring motif in the album. “Santa’s Real” and “Only Child” contrast the fantasy childhood Sloan always pondered over to the harsh reality of relationships and growing up she soon discovered existed outside her bubble of ignorance. “I used to be young and naive/ until I saw things I couldn’t unsee/ I wanna live in a world where people don’t get hurt.”

“Only Child” unraveled a new side to the artist, cutting out the monotonous pop style she once relied on. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sloan discussed the long contemplation over which songs deserved to stay, and which would receive the boot. “I wrote probably 30 to 50 songs and narrowed it down to 10 and those 10 are on the album,” said Sloan. “Some more pop-leaning songs got the cut for more intimate songs.”

“High School Me,” a personal favorite, finds a way to hit home with every line. The song replays the deprecating highschool tendencies Sloan and many other experience while offering a glimmer of hope as the artist revisits these moments in retrospect and touches on their minor impact in the grand scheme of things. 

Without a sliver of doubt, this album has been one of 2020’s greatest. Sloan supplies the best acoustic style for anyone interested in a slower-paced album. With a dose of soul searching and self-reflection, this album appeals to a broad audience from all backgrounds making it universally adored.