Lindsay Lohan, Back to Me | Track Review 🎵

Lindsay Lohan makes her pop comeback with “Back to Me” and surprisingly, the result actually is NOT terrible.

“I used to blame me when shit got crazy (Hey) / I can’t think too much ‘bout what they say…” Perhaps Lindsay Lohan, but we all know that “Shit got crazy…” Lohan, of course, is trying to make a comeback – just let that sink in first. It goes without saying that things have been incredibly turbulent for Lohan for a long, long time.  I would even go so far as to call it the exemplification of a train wreck.  The acting career went south, while the music career was marginal at best. Still, Lohan had some success musically, particularly her 2004 album, Speak (“Rumors” comes to mind).  Here’s the burning question though.  How does Lohan fit into pop after 12 years since her last single (“Bossy”) and 15 since her last album (A Little More Personal (RAW))? She sings about her struggles and how she is returning “Back to Me.”

As far as sound goes, “Back to Me” is perfectly in line with 2020 pop.  Mark Ralph serves as the producer, and the bag of tricks is in full effects.  That means there are bright synths, a danceable groove, and pitch shifted vocals.  What I’m saying is, I can’t object to the sound of this record – it’s characteristic of the times.  Vocally, Lindsay Lohan sounds fine too, perhaps much chagrin to the haters. She doesn’t give a performance that signifies ‘the second coming,’ but if anything, she sounds better than anticipated.  So, with respectable production and vocals, that leaves one last element to scrutinize – I mean analyze – The songwriting!

Give her credit for ‘getting herself together,’ at least in the context of the song.  On the pre-chorus she asserts, “My life is full of ripped up pages / I’ve been weak, contagious / But I’m coming back, I’m coming back to me.” Hopefully, that is the case.  She emphasizes her comeback on the repetitive chorus, while the verses really aim at that redemption: “When life gets harder / And the mind gets darker / Remind myself, never too late.”

Final Thoughts

Let’s be real, everyone who noticed Lindsay Lohan hard released a comeback single probably snickered and wrinkled up their noses.  It’s mean and judgmental, but, that’s likely what went down. I’ll admit, I was quite skeptical, and I’m sure at times in this review I’ve been a bit, um, ‘not nice.’  That said, while I’m not crazy about “Back to Me” and ready to buy into the return of Lohan, it’s better than I’d expect.  Am I betting on her? No, but, give her some credit for “Back to Me.”

Lindsay Lohan • “Back to Me” • Casablanca / UMG Recordings, Inc. • Release: 4.3.20

Photo Credits: Casablanca / UMG Recordings, Inc.