Born out of TikTok pop and a product of the Gen Z’s backwards gaze on mid-Aughts indie, Hemlocke Springs’ “Girlfriend” is one of the few near-perfect mashups this century has produced so far between the influence of yesterday’s alternative cool weirdos (Gwen Stefani early solo work, this past summer’s even stranger chart resurgence in a Kate Bush classic) and today’s algorithm-created micro scenes. The second single from the 23-year-old songwriter puts her own marks on it all, however, in her own take on being the one and only of someone she’s crushing hard while not losing herself in the emotions. Springs’ new new wave color palette mixed with a fearless weirdness confirms one thing, however: Whoever this crush is certainly isn’t as cool as she sounds here.

Directed by: Ana Peralta Chong

Hemlocke Springs’ “Girlfriend” single is available now.