85/100

With the release of their 7th single, jupiterkid once again goes in search of their feelings deep inside of themselves to pull out something extra heartfelt in 'make it okay (change is terrifying)'. But that doesn't mean all is lovey dovey. As someone who caught a live performance of them during the Baybeats Open Stage last October in 2022, I would be lying if I'd said the emerging solo singer/songwriter did not keep the crowd entertained and entranced throughout their set. Unfortunately if someone on the outside, for example, would watch all this play out, I reckon they would not even bat an eye on the stage and would continue shopping around Singapore's district or Marina Square. The power of lyricism and melodious vocals can only be so strong for unwanted listeners. But for those eager to listen out for one, jupiterkid's definitely someone to look out for. To be able to hold the energy of their own set in comparison to the rest of the curated list of bands and performers in the 3-Day event is a feat of musical strength one could definitely admire. Let alone, stripped away in humble vocals and guitar. With this new single, we can seemingly hear a more reinvigorated disposition from the singer despite introducing this fearful and new emotional & romantic pursuit, with lesser from the latter. Despite its vulnerable heartfelt overall message about the artist's fears of stumbling upon a new romance. The song interestingly does not cover the usual love languages one feels when they finally meet someone. For a heart to skip a beat, to feel joy, to feel excitement. Every moment and line raspily sung from the singer's airy tenor voice is never about the feeling one gets from their love but the fears of jupiterkid's self following this feeling once again. The last chorus is definitely the climax listeners would hear out for on repeat. Something ultimately new production-wise from jupiterkid, but also not off-putting, like finding out something new from someone you've known for so long. The shock/drop of the chorus pays off as they sing 'I'm afraid of change' and the distorted snares goes off in the already atmospheric background. Giving props to their more 'polished' and airy production, and cleaner sound direction throughout the track, I personally believe the percussion could shine more from the main space of the vocals and be more distinct as they homogenise with the frequencies of the adlibs at the back of the mix as well at certain times during the final hurrah. This is especially so when the percussion was set up to be an emotionally impactful surprise for the end. 'make it okay (change is terrifying)' is definitely a steller, vocally demanding track from jupiterkid this year. While I'm hoping to listen to more stuff from the artist, in our local Singapore world of emerging singer/songwriters, it is getting more and more complex in terms of the competition and our local music culture around us. But every once in a while, I believe its perfectly fine to just take a step back and listen to a song that could entrance me all over again. 85/100 / A-