PRISM MEDIA
PRESENTING REALITY IN SLOW MOTION.
“You don’t really like it when I cry to you. Just another thing that I don’t want to do.”
by Mike Mekus
5/10/2023
After months of build-up, the Tampa-native pop/punk princess and burgeoning superstar Summer Hoop finally released her newest single, “Pay Per View (Keep It Cool)”, much to the delight of her rapidly blossoming fanbase.
Since the release of her first EP in 2021, BEYOND REPAIR, Hoop has spent her time releasing catchy singles (her single from July 2022, “Our Own Sins” is a dynamite pop song and one of her best) and working to grow her brand, whether it be by filming semi-viral promo TikTok videos for her upcoming releases or performing at festivals across Florida (she just appeared at Gasparilla at the end of April), but never once has she stopped polishing her pop sensibilities.
Musically, it may feel cheap and obvious to compare Hoop’s music to that of Hayley Williams of Paramore, but there is certainly a truth to it. She’s got a lot of the vocal confidence and dynamism of Williams, as well as the deeper, more sultry sounding pop voice that Williams possesses. Musically (not vocally), you can hear a bit of 2009-2016 Panic! At the Disco. There’s even a case to be made that she’s got some of the sound of early Demi Lovato or for modern references, think Olivia Rodrigo or even Billie Eilish. This should bode well for Summer! She’s got a sound that should be marketable.
“Pay Per View (Keep It Cool)” shows a marked growth from Hoop as an artist, particularly in regard to the craftsmanship of her hooks and her overall vocal quality, which has always been excellent, but certainly reaches new heights here. Her belt is powerful, controlled, and sounds fairly effortless.
Hoop has always been more than adept at creating catchy choruses that seem to get stuck in the listener’s head, even dating back to one of her earliest songs, “Dagger”, which I always found to be a tremendous accomplishment coming from a 22-year-old; the progression she’s shown since then has to be commended. The outro of “Pay Per View (Keep It Cool)” is a remarkably effective thing-of-beauty. The song builds and progresses in a deeply satisfying way and concludes brilliantly.
Having released just one short EP in the fall of 2021 and now six straight singles that have begun to gain traction, the only question is when Hoop will release her debut album. If the music she’s been putting out for the last two-and-a-half years is any indication of what listeners are in store for, I anticipate the project to be excellent in almost every regard.