Blondshell’s Self-Titled Debut Strips Down Anxieties, Male Gaze and Reclamation of the Female Identity
Majoring in witty remarks and potent honesty, Sabrina Teietelbaum welcomes her first debut album under her moniker Blondshell. Not hesitating to strip down themes involving male validation, slimy men, revenge, substance abuse, and reclamation of female identity all woven through the nine-track album. The 25-year-old’s world clearly emphasizes her love for 90s female musicians like Courtney Love from Hole, Kim Deal from The Breeders, and Dolores O’Riorden from The Cranberries.
Teitelbaum opens the album with the rock anthem “Veronica Mars” with an emphasis on the 2004 teen television show by the same name. By far one of the most gut-wrenching, fierce tracks to open an album with, as she discusses the act of men being assholes and how sometimes those are the men that also have women wrapped around their fingers–unfortunately. As she sings, there are references to a scummy character from the 2004 television show, “Logan’s a dick, I’m learning that’s hot.” Of course, no one wants to be with a guy who is a complete dirtbag, but she’s uncovering this idea that there’s something alluring about the guys who act like you barely exist. As she’s unveiling this idea in the middle of the track, the rough and gritty guitar break that follows acts as a wakeup call to the mind.
Initially raised in Midtown Manhattan, she relocated to Los Angeles to study at USC Thorton’s School of Music. Dropping out after only two years to pursue her solo project BAUM, she released her first single “Fuckboy.” However, it wasn’t until she created Blondshell in 2020 where she found her rock-studded voice and began writing about all the brutal undercuts in life experienced in your early 20s.
Teitelbaum explores a new theme often not portrayed in lyrics in the music scene but more chatted about behind closed doors. On “Salad” she discusses a story of a man being abusive towards a close friend of hers as she sings, “It doesn’t happen to women I know / God, tell me, why did he hurt my girl?” Without a moment to breath she begins drawing attention to how often abusers are let off with barely any discipline by the justice system. She brings this vision forward with the words: “And she took him to the courthouse and somehow he got off / Then I saw him laughing with his lawyer in the parking lot.” With her voice standing tall at the edge of a cliff, she’s teetering back and forth willing to risk it all to vocalize a defense against a man who did her friend poorly. Blondshell brings us the story behind the planning of a murder.
Between finding solid ground between distorted bass lines and loud drum beats, Teitelbaum conjures up notions of the realities of dealing with a pathetic boyfriend. In the pre-released single, “Sepsis,” she sings with annoyance: “I’m going back to him / I know my therapist’s pissed / We both know he’s a dick / At least it’s the obvious kind.” This song begins her discussion into receiving male validation. While being lost in–what seems to feel like–this endless daze of living through “some dude's gaze,” and why she feels like she can’t break away from this faded relationship.
The album in its entirety eerily vocalizes the truths and reality behind being the worst version of yourself. It raises issues on the extent to which one will go in order to keep the one that they love close to them. Being in love with only a feeling and not necessarily the person would drive all of us mad. Following along through “Tarmac,” Blondshell argues that everything revolves around physical touch. While being in his arms, she feels the most alone. Feeling as though she’s losing herself when she’s around this new person, and potentially new group of friends, she feels so comfortably numb to everything that nothing feels real anymore.
Ending off the album with razor-sharp lyrics found in “Dangerous,” she finds a new theme surrounding friendship anxieties. It’s rather an interesting take on the inner-monologue. As a socially anxious person myself, I understand how she’s stuck in this constant circle of wondering what people are thinking about her at all times–especially if she finds herself to be in a faded state while trying new things. As she sings with a distant almost uncertain tone: “They’re my friends / And I’m scared of them / I’m in my head / Watching her mouth / Wondering what she thinks.” This song also opens up ideas in regards to exploring queerness as she says: “I’m trying new things out / Is it obvious / See it shaking in my lips / When I take in another hit / I’m trying new things out / It’s so dangerous.” While rehashing these ideas of what ‘dangerous’ means, Blondshell’s overall thematic element found within the entirety of the album is facing those dangerous situations. Deconstructing what it means to be the worst version of yourself, contemplating the murder of your friend’s boyfriend, trying new things, falling into a realm of being content with male validation and breaking away from living for the male gaze all add to the ‘danger’ by the world’s standards of what it means to call out those enemies and become a stronger women.
