On Dec. 1, 2023, Lyn Lapid released the end to her extended play, “to love in the 21st century: the epilogue.” The album consists of 13 tracks, with an almost self-explanatory title, that follows a fictional story of a girl meeting a boy over the summer. Lapid explores situationships and commitment issues throughout the songs. The airy instrumentals, paired with Lapid’s smooth voice, create a dreamy quality to the album.
After kicking off the album with an instrumental track, “intro,” Lapid starts the story with “poster boy,” a song where she describes her first reaction to meeting a boy. Her lyrics purposefully romanticize the feelings of love at first sight.
“Know we just met / I gotta confess / With you I don’t see an end,” Lapid sings.
In her next song, “do you really?” with popular R&B singer Ruth B, Lapid proposes for a deeper and loving relationship instead of a short fling.
“Do you really wanna fall in love? (Hey, hey, hey) / Do you really wanna settle down / Or are you happy just to mess around?” Lapid sings.
The chorus’s repetitive nature sends a message of longing to the listener. Many can connect with the feeling of wanting more than the modern relationships today, usually situationships.
“Wonder if we let this love grow / I won’t have it in me just to let go / Won’t get outta the ring if you say so,” Lapid sings.
Lapid nears the middle of her story with “keep me around.” She starts to have second thoughts about her relationship, questioning why she cannot seem to stop coming back to her partner. Paired with darker piano notes, the song feels like an inevitable end.
“I’m nothing but a second thought to have around / Here to drop in, when you call in / Put me away when my time is up,” Lapid sings.
In “the alternative,” Lapid’s relationship has ended. She seems to realize that love is not the same as her over romanticized misinterpretations of it. The rose-tinted glasses she wore for much of the album come off, and the feelings of being torn between being in a relationship or not taking the risks again are prominent.
“Love is a risk / But what’s the alternative? / Maybe sleeping at night all alone / Going it all on my own,” Lapid sings.
In her next track, “cross your mind,” Lapid seems to have shifted her thinking. She now longs for her ex to think of her as much as she thinks of them, and even for them to revisit the past. Her lyrics create a wistful song, equally regretful and hopeful.
“Do I cross your mind? / Much as you cross mine / We’re on separate timelines / But sometimes, I wish you were still on mine,” Lapid sings.
Lapid wraps up the story with “ok with it,” where she has accepted the end of her relationship. As she grows distant with her ex, she feels like their breakup was for the best, and she knows that she will end up finding someone else. Using realistic lyrics describing the last stages of a breakup, Lapid evokes the emotions that come with moving on.
“We could be living like one day we’ll be reunited / And promise that we’ll stay in touch / But we know we’d be lyin’ / Why be at odds with our sanity / By arguing with reality?” Lapid sings.
“to love in the 21st century: the epilogue” is an album exploring the complicated depths of modern relationships. Lapid cleverly uses her songs in a chronological order to create a story threaded into her lyrics. Her songs address the romanticization of love, commitment issues and situationships, creating a story that listeners can connect with.