Sit Still Look Pretty // Daya

Daya: Sit Still Look Pretty (2016)

Daya is trying to be the new Lorde.

The 17-year-old pop artist sounds just as dream-like as the “Royals” singer, and Daya’s debut studio album “Sit Still, Look Pretty” appeals to the same group of wannabe edgy mainstream listeners. Both her titular song and April 2015 hit “Hide Away” promise an album of original, ethereal beats, but the new record’s shallow and dated lyrics of a millennial ultimately disappoint.

“Sit Still, Look Pretty,” the highlight of the album, rose to popularity when it was first released in March 2016 with messages about not changing for a boy and being more than a pretty face. Daya’s crisp sound production is the pretty face covering up other tracks’ superficial lyrics.

The epitome of her try-hard-yet-effort-lacking songwriting is the lyricism of “I.C.Y.M.I,” “Talk” and “Thirsty,” all of which do little more than use viral wording, such as pop culture references and internet language, to try to fit in with today’s hip youth