‘The biggest obstacle I face in music is people trying to water down what I want to say’ says L Devine at the start of the 9-minute-video to her brand new EP, Growing Pains. Rather than take the traditional approach of creating one video to showcase her EP, L Devine has chosen to produce a series of vignettes inspired by her personal struggle to assert herself as a young woman in the modern world. Shot by Emil Nava the stunning visuals feature imagery from L Devine’s hometown, interspersed with clips from the five-track EP. It’s the perfect contextualisation for Growing Pains which is some of the sharpest pop you’ll hear this side of Christmas. Keep an ear out in particular for ‘Like You Like That’ – a synth-led banger, and acoustic piano ballad ‘Panic’ which deals with that horrifying moment you realise you’ve fallen out of lust and into love. Dealing directly and honestly with themes of identity in a modern world, there’s no doubt that L Devine’s Growing Pains will resonate far and wide. We can’t wait to see where her extraordinary song-writing talent takes L Devine next. -HM