But with that vulnerability comes a tendency toward overthinking, tweaking and hand-wringing over releases before they even see the light of day. As a solo artist before the band came together, Vucic admits she spent four years making sure her first single was “just right.” In her work with blush, it was a roadblock she was intentional about avoiding. “For our first song [“Are U Okay”], I was like, fuck it, this is it. We’re gonna release it,” she explained.
The track, that finds Anitta checking in with a friend who’s been struggling, was an apt introduction for a group still perfecting their own creative processes. “I write most of the songs and then send them the demos because they can play the instruments way better than I can and they sort of take over,” Vucic explained, adding that they’re deeply inspired by “female leads with really soft vocals and cool instrumentals” like Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, and Soccer Mommy. “It’s been a long year for you / But I can see that you’re still there / And that you haven’t disappeared,” she sings on the track’s hook. On the slow whirling “Doomsday,” Vucic ponders if an ex has moved on while grappling with the possibility that she hasn’t. “Cause you walked out my door, with someone who had a little more / do you hink about us still, does it hurt to see I’m doing more,” she sings.