Poppy Fardells releases new single ‘Good Girl’

At a time when both the nation and the world have been paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, the new single from Poppy Fardell feels ever more prescient. ‘Good Girl’ speaks of female empowerment. Its central question is “Who’s to say what a girl is and what she isn’t?”. In a world of purely patriarchal leadership rose a young woman to the British throne at the age of 25. She had been showing them how it was done ever since. A line in Fardell’s song that might have otherwise rushed past suddenly bears weight – “give everybody crowns”. If one of the legacies of her reign has been to shatter the glass ceiling then it will have been inspiration enough for women to know that they can achieve anything. The main thrust of Fardell and co-writer Jess Thristan’s song is much the same. Many of the traditional expectations that they list in the opening verse were subverted by Her late Majesty. She actually did “play with the big guns”. She didn’t just “wear… a smile but keep [her] mouth shut”. She displayed the kind of quiet wisdom and confident strength that is being so lauded now. What Fardell does is add vivacity through the music to create an anthem that truly celebrates this veracity. It is another catchy crowd-pleaser to add to her growing list of infectious country-pop tracks. This one feels particularly special though because of its message. ‘Good Girl’ may unwittingly celebrate the passing of one remarkable woman but it is also a clarion call to others to follow in that way. Let’s “know what we’re worth… get what we deserve… [so] every little girl knew they could change the world”.

Review written by Gareth Williams (twitter.com/lostinbluejazz1)