Alexandra Savior’s Comeback Single “Unforgivable” is A Vintage, Jazzy, Pop Dream

Rising into the mainstream from her debut album, a collaboration with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, Alexandra Savior has established her melancholic rock-pop sound in the span of less than 10 years, across two albums. The release of “Unforgivable” kicks off a “new project,” as Savior teased on her Instagram celebrating the release of the new single. 

Alexandra Savior by Angela Ricciardi

The track kicks in with her signature snare-heavy drum beat, echoing strong jazz influences that directly reflect the choice of a brass section. The strum of the acoustic guitar and the almost gleeful melody echoing from the horns are juxtaposed to Savior’s haunting vocals and warm cello that takes the track to a dreamy and charming tune. It slightly strays away from what we’ve heard from her in the past, yet is grounded in her usual biting and poignant lyrics and macabre rock tone. 

The song being her first debut as an RCA Records artist is not lost in her lyricism. The track is a “mantra” as Savior describes for Variety. She speaks directly to ones who have hurt her, asking questions and standing her ground in her power. The first verse is a direct call-out, “You came, you saw / You knew what you were doing / I played along and whistled my way through it.” The chorus’ message is simple enough: what you did was unforgivable. 

While the message hidden in the lyrics isn’t inherently explicit about the relationship between label and artist, the dots connect in the chorus. “And I won’t forget (no, no, no) / Mark my words / I won’t forget (no, no, no) / And I’ll tell the world / It’s unforgivable, ooh / Unforgivable to / Oh to take a girl, keep her from the world / Look at what you've done, why was I the one? / It’s unforgivable.” Savior herself claims that the track is meant to be relatable for many, saying, “We’ve all had experiences like this as women—it’s universal.” 

This new era serves to be a different and more independent Savior, the power she finds in her voice with the simplicity of the repeated chorus is evident in the track. With this single being the final thing she created for the upcoming project, fans wait on the edge of their seats for what Savior has next to deliver.