Chloe Qisha – Modern Romance EP

Label: VLF Records / Are You Serious? Records
Released: 15th May 2025

Dancing through the darkness of modern life with a disco ball in one hand and a therapy notebook in the other, Chloe Qisha’s ‘Modern Romance’ EP is what you’d get if ABBA got wine-drunk in a group chat with Pulp about dating apps and climate anxiety. It’s self-aware, sparkly, a little bit sad — and completely brilliant.

’21st Century Cool Girl’ doesn’t so much enter as it does strut in wearing platform boots and a knowing smirk. It’s all mirror-ball sparkle and one-liners that cut just a little too close. The kind of song that makes you feel like you’re in control of your own montage… while also spiralling just a little bit.

The title-track swaps disco shimmer for digital static, diving headfirst into glitch-pop territory without losing the ache of the beating heart underneath. There’s a particular genius in how Qisha nails the weird energy of modern romance — all green text bubbles, blue double ticks and half-hearted detachment masking total emotional chaos. It’s a love song for people who pretend not to care (but care a lot, very obviously).

If there’s a standout moment on this package of wall-to-wall hits, it’s probably ‘Sex, Drugs & Existential Dread’ – a track that makes apocalyptic anxiety sound like the perfect floor-filler. Is there a lyric better than “The world is on fire, let’s order Taco Bell” to sum up 2025? It may yet go down as one of 2025’s most uncomfortably accurate summations. Somewhere between a panic attack and a banger, it’s Qisha’s thesis in a nutshell: everything’s a lot, but at least there’s a beat.

‘The Boys’ shows a different side, trading sass for poignancy. Qisha can handle subtle emotion as deftly as she delivers knockout choruses. It’s sweet, sad, and completely clear-eyed. A coming-of-age track for people still coming of age, no matter how many birthdays they’ve passed.

Closing track ‘A-Game’ brings everything full circle, combining the EP’s various threads – romantic uncertainty, self-aware humour, and pure pop pleasure – into one satisfying finale. The attention to detail in both lyrics and arrangement confirms Qisha’s arrival as a serious artistic force.

‘Modern Romance’ doesn’t try to be cool, it doesn’t have to – which is exactly why it is. Chloe Qisha knows the game, plays it with style, and still manages to say something real. This is the sound of an artist confidently defining her lane – one where clever craftsmanship meets genuine emotional resonance. It’s a triumph of smart, sophisticated pop that doesn’t forget to have fun along the way.