Artist Spotlight | Merges

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT | MERGES | “AGNUS”

At six tracks, Agnus is the longest EP release to date for singer, songwriter, and producer Merges. Don’t let her fool you. This seasoned pro is moving strategically and has developed impressive momentum. Last year, one of her first single releases, “cool_v2”, burst out of the fray and earned over 7 million streams. Since then, Merges has release single after single until finally releasing two back-to-back EPs.

Agnus is a contemplative collection of tracks. Merges masterfully blends her R&B vocals with instrumentals that defy genres. Listening through the EP, you can hear pop, alternative R&B, and—is that a whiff of country? She did start her career in Nashville after all—when she was only 16 years old, at that.

“Stampede,” the short and sweet introductory track, leads with stripped-back guitar and the distant chatter of a crowded room before Merges asserts “you carry your pain well, let me tell you something, I like you.” The track feels direct yet vulnerable and bare. You get the sense that you’re swirling around Merges’s thoughts while she gazes at this new love interest.

This intimate vantage point on Merges inner world is what carries us through the entire EP. “Scrabble” offers us a peak into a love that’s so good it feels innocent. It somehow sounds like Lizzy McAlpine wrote a song for Kehlani.

It’s not all so simple though. The album ends on the titular song, “Agnus,” a sweet and etherial song about missing someone who isn’t around anymore. The track twinkles and builds until finally materializing into a loving voicemail from Grandma. The impact is immediate.

For all the dreamy soundscapes and airy vocals, you get the sense that this soft, vulnerable side of Merges is often protected and tucked away. Through Agnus, she’s chosen to let us in on her secret.