Early Twenties is the debut LP of singer Cat Burns. She first burst into the music scene in 2016. Eight years later she released her first album. Is this the best LP of 2024? In the third edition of Music, Movies, and Me Awards, let’s break it down.
It is no surprise that the surroundings influence and shape a person for their future. For example, thanks to her mother, singer Maggie Rogers grew up listening to Lauryn Hill, to name an artist.
For Cat Burns, the gospel music played in the background of her household inclined her towards falling in love with music.
Generally in the music industry, there is a blueprint to follow before getting signed. Below are the steps (simplified).
- Build an Image: Choose your stage name, music genre, and audience target.
- Record music: Before a Long Play (LP), and Extended Play (EP) is mandatory. With an EP or mixtape, artists can approach labels and show what they have to offer, musically.
- Get signed: Should the EP be successful, the label signs the artists and gives the green light for the next project.
- Build a team: An album is a product of collaboration. Make connections, talk to writers and producers, and let them know your vision.
- Release an Album: The first LP is the introduction to the world and shows what the musicians have to offer.
In fact, that is what Cat did. In 2016, she self-released her first EP titled “Adolescent.” By 2019, she proved determination and released her second EP, “Naive.”
Unfortunately, the Pandemic (2020) put a stop to the world. However, the only thing that grew was the amount of people online.
As a result, through social media channels, Cat Burn’s name started growing due to her singing covers of songs. This led her to get signed by the record label “Since 93.” Later on, she embarked on tour as the opening act for major artists such as Ed Sheeran.
Undoubtedly, lockdown, if used to your advantage, was something positive. That was also the case for Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, to name a few, who recorded albums during Covid-19.
Her third EP, “Emotionally Unavailable” (2022), proved the consistency and hunger in her as an artist. Finally, on July 12, 2024, step five was checked. That is, to release the album.
early twenties
As Cat Burns stated, the album is the output of four years of work. She started working on it at age twenty. Hence, she grew with it and applied all the lessons learned, the good and the bad ones.
Through the 17 “cathartic” songs, as she calls them, the listener overcomes the sadness. Also, the great thing is that they are relatable to teens and adults.
So, what to expect for her sophomore? Will she play it safe or experiment? The sophomore album is a breaking point for many. According to Missy Elliot, it is the best time to experiment!
After all, Cat has surrounded herself with great writers and producers to deliver a high-standard product. Today, Burns has become the voice of all introverts and can only grow from here on.
Congrats to Cat on the best album of 2024!
Watch “Met Someone” and stream Cat Burn’s “early twenties” below!
