Sometimes, to find your true sound, you have to stop being perfect. This modest truth was discovered by Devon Michael while preparing to release her new mini-album “Even NASA Loses Satellites.” Five singles are already out, but as the artist herself admits, the most thrilling part of this release is the feeling that for the first time in her life, she finally sounds like herself. Over the years, she has written and produced music for others, tried on different styles, genres, and moods. And now, she’s decided to show: “This is what Devon Michael sounds like.”
What to expect from “Even NASA Loses Satellites?” The EP carries the artist’s signature touch: plenty of piano, lyrically driven writing, but not a trace of melancholy in the music. The author boldly lets dance elements into her world-sudden drops in the post-choruses, pulsating dance drums, and funky basslines. The result is a delightful mix, full of feeling and energy. Devon Michael admits she has always loved the theme of space. Her co-writers even got used to rolling their eyes whenever she started comparing life situations to the Moon, tectonic plates, or Mercury in retrograde. For a long time, she restrained this “cosmic romanticism” when working on other people’s projects. But for her own, she decided: “I do! I want the space metaphors!” Space allows her to expand the picture, to look at everyday life through a vast lens. The brightest feature of the EP is its overarching theme. It is sprinkled with cosmic metaphors, and its sound turned out beautiful, romanticized, and fantastic. Across six songs, the listener discovers the author’s cohesive world, while the sky-covered artwork reinforces this effect visually. So fasten your seatbelts, friends, and check your suits-the ship is ready for takeoff.
It all begins with the track “Retrograde,” inspired by the idea of Mercury in retrograde-when everything seems to go backward. The image becomes a metaphor for confusion and the attempt to believe that chaos is temporary. Against shining synths and thick 80s-style basslines, there’s a search for grounding and a touch of irony. The production is finely tuned: from glitch effects to holographic vocal layers, everything glows and breathes. And yes, there are lines about rose quartz and palo santo-but “Retrograde” energizes rather than drifts into mysticism. Next on the route is “Airplane Mode” -one of the EP’s most vulnerable tracks, wrapped in minimalist yet gripping production. It’s an attempt to disconnect from the outside world and from your own feelings, to switch yourself into “flight mode” so you don’t see someone living without you. The lyrics convey burnout and quiet pain without excess drama. Transparent synths, a soft beat, and muted vocals create an airy atmosphere with pauses and silence, where the world becomes quiet enough to hear yourself.
Then comes “Distance” -a song-embrace, where kilometers lose meaning. Here love lives between New York and Los Angeles, turning into FaceTime calls and virtual rituals of tenderness. The line “Distance won’t make me distant from you” becomes a guide for those who know that true connection can’t be measured by location. Soft synths, warm guitars, and a smooth groove evoke the feeling of a night-time conversation, where warmth is felt even through the screen. A note of pop flirtation appears in “Jedi Mind Tricks“-a story of falling for a Star Wars fan, where emotions intertwine with geekiness and lightsabers. The author plays with the image of Jedi “mind tricks,” turning feelings into a force field of attraction. The sound bursts with synth flashes, a springy beat, and a vocal with a light electronic sheen. Everything balances between dream and dance. “Jedi Mind Tricks” is clever, weightless pop with self-irony.
An especially intriguing track is “Amateur Astronomer“-a warm song about how sometimes it’s easier to follow your own stars than a map. After all, sometimes the best course is set by intuition, not logic. Gentle vocals with a shade of doubt, airy synths, and a soft beat paint a picture of a nighttime stroll under the stars. “When I Found You” closes the EP-a moment where feelings, sound, and breath converge at one point. A smooth landing after a long flight-the moment when you find what you were looking for. Tender synths, a fading rhythm, soft guitars, and weightless bass underline the sensual vocal. The transparent, careful production weaves emotions into a sense of bright completion and light euphoria.
The EP “Even NASA Loses Satellites” was born from a random thought that came to Devon Michael while she was Googling to understand a feeling of being lost. She suddenly came across a fact-t turns out even NASA’s best engineers lose satellites! If they can make mistakes in space, why should we scold ourselves for sometimes getting lost on Earth? It’s absolutely normal. This EP is a small push toward courage-to venture into the unknown, accept unexpected turns, and not blame yourself if things don’t go as planned. After all, even NASA loses satellites. So take a breath-and just fly!
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