Sadness, in and of itself, can get boring. Unable to avoid the blues that come of failed relationships and harsh endings, Madrid-based april june brings an ambivalent perspective to her disappointments that make them feel varied. Her sadness is romanticized by the guitars featured in her music; she delivers lyrics with subtle acceptance, softening the blow of their realities. Lush and hollow, “baby’s out of luck again” builds on april june’s reputation of moody, vaguely-nostalgic songwriting that knows just how to hit a nerve. As the track tells, she is unable to break herself of a pattern she can’t stand: “This time around / I actually thought I was changing,” she sings with what little hope she has remaining. “But here I am / Knocking on your door again,” june admits with some defeat. Like june, we are left to question whether luck is a dream worth chasing, or if we truly are at the sole mercy of destiny. In its own way, it is a romantic thought. 

The premise of “baby’s out of luck again” is not born totally from april june’s misfortunes. In a press release, the artist shares that while being “immersed in a year-long binge of The Sopranos” she was provoked to consider more carefully human psychology, subconsciousness, and cultural symbolism. “This insight challenges the notion of ‘making your own luck,’ urging acceptance of fate and embracing the inevitable,” june explains. “It prompts introspection on the attraction to detrimental relationships, questioning if behavioral patterns are a metaphor for destiny. The cosmic order is pondered, wondering if repeating patterns aligns with universal design. The connection between individuals, like a Sagi and Virgo, raises questions about destiny's role in their meeting.” All of this from an episode of television? Regardless of the source material, june’s ability to wrestle with such a complex concept proves her talent as much as her courage. 

Accompanying the single is a music video, which was intentioned from the start with a specific vision from april june. “My primary idea was that I wanted to be a performer at a dusty local bar, somewhere in Madrid,” she explains of her initial premonition. “Performing can be terrifying, but performing in front of people who are not there to listen to you, but to partake in normal bar activities is gut-wrenching. I wanted to explore that space between the anxious performer and a negative crowd. I had visions of frowns and booing, and tomatoes being thrown. I really wanted to explore that feeling of desperation you get when you can’t get people to love you, no matter how hard you try.” Working with director Marco Braia, some small changes were made: the video was shot in Turin, the setting was a stage instead of a bar, and the direction veered toward a scene from the film Mulholland Drive, where Rebekah del Rio sings “Llorando.” 

To conclude a banner day for april june fans, the artist announced the release of her sophomore EP on August 2nd, with the project taking the name of its lead single. As she has so willingly displayed so far, april june is sure to arrive as the best version of herself we’ve seen yet.

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