Gemwz – “Quarantine” – an emotionally compelling listen!

Gemwz is an independent singer and lyric writer based in Iowa City, Iowa. At the end of 2019, she started taking music seriously after listening to her inspiration, Juice WRLD. Gemwz falls into all sorts of genres such as Rap, Hip-hop, Acoustic, as well as Pop Rock. She enjoys making her listeners feel emotions throughout her songs in a way they can relate. For what seems like a proper debut album, “Quarantine” does everything right and then some. It provides many facets of Gemwz, from synth-pop jams to melancholy downtempo and alternative ruminations, as well as sharp-tongued rap tracks. There is a wide range of beats that bounce effortlessly off Gemwz’s somewhat dark and somber swagger.

The crisp production makes this feel like a well thought out, and intentional release, rather than just a rushed showcase of hype. It’s this poise that makes the album exactly as hypnotic as it is, and a smorgasbord of interesting ideas from an inspired and hungry pop artist.

“Quarantine” contains easy music to love and be excited about, in a day and age where the filter held over pop has long been lifted, pouring out a plethora of empowering, honest, dark, and sometimes twisted lyrics.

When the album runs at max, it is everything you could hope for from a creative young artist lik Gemwz. The opening track and lead single, “On a Mission”, is a dark, understated banger of a track, and could not have raised the hopes higher for this release.

A thumping drumbeat, and rolling piano line, build the foundation for Gemwz’s wistful vocals. The beat is more urgent on “Pure Nothingness”, while the singer’s voice resonates with edgy bombast. There’s a foray into explicit, momentum-pushing rap verses on “Rotation”, which hits like a hurricane.

“Better Than Ever”, rides on a downtempo, ambient styled beat, while Gemwz’s delivery varies between melodic and rapped motifs. Gemwz is an artist who very much wants to surprise and awe audiences with new ideas, and for that, tracks like this will undoubtedly make her an intriguing and high-profile creator.

It’s back to the rapping grindstone, on “Lullabies”, where Gemwz unfolds her confident flow, before switching to the organic-sounding, melodic groove of “Bad Dayz”, which also happens to be the album’s longest track, if not its very best cut.

However, that accolade probably needs to be shared with the piano-driven, final track, “Remember Me”, which shows off Gemwz’s emotionally nuanced vocals in the best possible way. The singer’s multifaceted voice manages to attune itself brilliantly to this type of arrangement, above all else.

Gemwz has a sound all to herself, one that with continued grace and dexterity she shows across all the tracks. With this album, Gemwz highlights a wonderfully malleable voice and effective songwriting. Additionally, the production is all-around fantastic on each of the tracks.

On “Quarantine”, nothing is held back, making for an emotionally compelling listen and one that forecasts a potentially long and interesting career. Among the camp of newcomer female singer-songwriters, Gemwz, with this album, has proven herself to be one to watch for the future.