7/10

Los Angeles pop artist SOZI returns with her sophomore EP 'DREAM', a four-track exploration of desire, illusion, and the bittersweet clarity that follows. From the first note of 'Superstar', the EP shines with disco-tinged euphoria, marrying glittering production with an undercurrent of wistfulness. SOZI captures the duality of chasing validation with cinematic precision.

The momentum continues with 'Out of the Blue', where deep-house synths sweep us into the emotional maelstrom of sudden betrayal. Here, SOZI’s production mirrors the rush of heartbreak, shifting from dreamy nostalgia to a sharp, hypnotic tension. 'Good Girl' pivots with playful defiance, a self-aware anthem for anyone who’s followed the rules yet remained unrecognised. Its bold hooks and summer-ready energy provide a contrast to the vulnerability threaded through the EP. Closing with 'Lost in You', SOZI strips back the instrumentation, delivering a hazy, intimate meditation on being consumed by desire, the perfect counterpoint to the high-octane opener.

What makes 'DREAM' particularly compelling is how SOZI balances grandeur with intimacy. Each track inhabits a different emotional space yet the EP feels cohesive, like a summer viewed through a prism of shimmering sound and reflective lyricism. Entirely self-written, produced, and co-engineered, SOZI’s commitment to her creative vision is palpable, and her ability to blend dance-pop energy with emotional nuance establishes her as a rising force in contemporary pop.

With 'DREAM', SOZI captures the fleeting highs of summer and frames them in a universe that is as glittering as it is real, inviting us to dream, desire, and emerge transformed.