Mothica returns with a dark pop ballad to express a breaking heart.

It’s been a little while since Mothica was last active in the musical world. She garnered a lot of attention upon dropping her Mythic EP in 2015, but there has been very little noise from her recently. Now, she’s back with new single Self-destructive, a dark pop gem that makes the wait worth it.

As always, it’s Mothica’s vocal that proves the most mesmerising aspect of her sound. Self-destructive plays to this strength by minimising the emphasis of the music in the mix, with it essentially providing a simmering background noise to the emotionally-charged and frayed vocal line. Even on the chorus, which is structured to provide one hell of a relative drop, the underlying instrumental is subdued and minimalist.

That’s not to downplay the impact of the instrumentation. In fact, every sound is perfectly crafted to add a uniquely distraught vibe to proceedings. It’s not necessarily the most traditionally ‘pop’ feel, but it makes for a deeply effective track.