Gabbie Hanna dropped her latest EP entitled, Bad Karma. She truly spilled the tea and left nothing unsaid discussing all things betrayal, lies, and revenge, over the five-track extended-play that delivers beatable songs with great storytelling.
The opening track, ‘Glass House’ hits the nail on the head with the impact of victim-blaming, being painted the bad guy, and thinking one enjoys the drama among them. She describes she doesn’t condemn the difference between her and her listeners as we are all vulnerable at the end of the day. There’s a chilling vibe throughout the song that leaves the storytelling front and centre. It creates a perfect tone as an opening track that leaves the listener hungry for more.
Moving on to the title-track, ‘Bad Karma’ changes pace from her regular musical tone. She’s not afraid to not sugarcoat the truth or hide behind a song as she begins the song, opening the track, singing, “skeletons in my closet.” Hanna shows a lot of growth in this particular song that is truly breathtaking. It’s a tune for the ages.
Following this, ‘Special’ gives a nod to her older music that brings a refreshing take to the EP. In a light tone, she addresses the harsh realities of not being the perfect version of someone else’s view. It’s a delicate, yet beautiful listen. She sings, “I'm not special, special /Don't know why I thought I could be someone/ I'm no one/ To anyone who knows me / I'm a burden, I'm certain / The only thing I'm good for is hurtin' the ones I love.”
Next up is ‘Dandelion’ that was the debut release from the EP. It’s a great listen with nostalgic feelings of what one believes in as a child growing up to finding out the truth. Hanna turned the pain of being an outcast into something remarkable through this song. She sings, “I still loved those mellow yellow petals anyway / What’s that thing they say about a rose by any other name? / Then my fragile flower turned into a ball of grey / So, I took a breath and made a wish and blew them all away.”
Last up is ‘Happy’ which closes the EP out with an unexpected ode to her lover. Her vocals are stellar mirroring the production showcasing her poetic style of writing. It slows the EP down in a perfect manner from beginning with a lot of heartache and grief to concluding it all on a happy note.
Bad Karma, showcases her musical strengths, personal growth, and overall intriguing storytelling. There’s a lot to uncover throughout the five-tracks with jam-packed, interesting, and worthy songs that will be stuck in the listener's head from the first listen. Hanna had a tremendous glow-up on this EP.
Lyrically, Hanna dives deep into creating beautiful stories from the ruins of situations she used to create art from to heal. She wrote about the brutal honesty in harsh realities in a pleasant way that will draw the listener back for another full-length listen. The evolution of her work to date is remarkable.
Vocally, Hanna’s voice has improved immensely showcasing her effortless talents. She has perfect pitch and tone highlighting her vocal capacity, following the production and storytelling in a wonderful manner that creates an overall fantastic body of work.
Instrumentally, the production adds extra emotion and flavouring along with her effortless vocal abilities. She broadens the listener's mind into this new era of music. It’s a great addition to her musical discography as she showcases a different side to her through her vulnerability and growth as a musical artist.
Gabbie Hanna is an American internet personality, writer, and singer. Bad Karma, follows her debut EP, 2WAYMIRROR, released in 2019.
Words by Danielle Holian