Single Review: Becca James - Perfect Girl

Singer-songwriter Becca James, based between Newcastle and Leeds, has once again proven her expertise in conversational lyricism with her latest single, ‘Perfect Girl’. It is only her second single release ever after her debut, ‘Control’ in 2019, and yet James is already exhibiting talent way beyond her experience.

In the wake of her single release, James has also created a collaborative video project inspired by Perfect Girl - ‘The Antidote to Perfection’. It will combine the voices and words of her listeners; James is proving to be exceptionally aware of her ability to connect with her audience. Her talent exists through her exposed lyrics and sensitive vocals. 

Perfect Girl is a raw, and emotional conceptualisation of struggle that spans from relationships to daily societal pressures. It details the struggle of trying to be someone you’re not, someone you’re expected to be and trying to break away from those shackles. The song reflects on the purpose of perfection with James writing, ‘don’t want to be your perfect girl’.

James’s lyrics are an exquisite representation of the emotionality and pain related to living in a shadow of yourself, or of someone else. ‘Allowed myself to be your blank canvas, You painted me by numbers, Choosing all my colours’. Her lyrics are overwhelmed in vulnerability and honesty that is complimented by a haunting, yet ethereal soundscape. The harmonies are soft and tantalising yet remain earnest and hard-hitting. Becca James manages to mirror the melodic piano and instrumentation with a delicacy in her vocals that is both dream-like and awakening. This is even more so the case in her acoustic version of the single.

Her introspective lyrics in Perfect Girl are underlined by her spiritual-inflected vocals that are overwhelmed in hallucinogenic melodies. ‘I know that I can’t be, Everything you need’. It’s a song littered with relatability to anyone struggling with the concept of perfection.

Words: Lizzie Shaw