The release of Camila Cabello’s “Crying in the Club” in 2017 ushered in a new era of mental health transparency in pop. Ranging from problematic fave “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max to SoundCloud sadbois, musicians are increasingly opening up about the darker facets of the human psyche. In keeping with the new emotional palette of today’s chart-toppers and viral hits, Lindsay Lohan has jumped back on the scene with “Xanax”.
Sampling the chilly beats of 1999 eurodance track “Better of Alone” Lindsay sings with unexpected candour about the tribulations of living with the opposing forces of loneliness and social anxiety. The lyrics ( “I can’t be in this club, it’s too crowded and I’m f*cked”) describe the kind of cycle that will be familiar to many: turning to the club in search of love and community but finding next to no solace in the crushing crowds. The video, consisting of a DIY assemblage of poorly lit, TikTok-style video clips, matches the lyrics’ rawness. Both feel disarmingly honest in a way that only someone like Lohan, whose personal struggles have already been made very public knowledge, can be.
For those of you too young to know LiLo as anything but the Mykonos lady with the regrettable dance moves, let us fill you in. The one-time American teen dream made her name by appearing in Disney productions like The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday, following in the footsteps of Britney Spears and anticipating the rise of Miley Cyrus. After a starring role in the decade-defining high school comedy Mean Girls, she became one of the biggest celebs of the ’00s, partied with Paris Hilton and embarked on a singing career. Soon enough however, fans watched her descend into a spiral of drugs and DUIs, discarding her squeaky clean image to convert into the archetypal “troubled former child star”.
Whilst “Xanax” might not be setting the pop world alight just yet, it’s a marked improvement from LiLo’s earlier musical contributions (though we still think “Rumours” is an underrated jam). We’re already wondering what she’s got in the works as a follow-up…
Watch the full video via Lindsay’s IG Live channel below.
