94. Single Review of Achilles by Olivia Elizabeth Basar
Originally Published on February 26th, 2025
About the Artist
I used to be a very confident person, musically. In my younger, more naive years, and growing up as a big fish in a little pond, I treated every compliment as if it were a future Grammy nomination. It was all just validation that a career in music was there for me if I wanted it.
I graduated high school and not much changed. I had a music professor who referred to me as a genius, I was one of the favorites of the music performance department, and I really put effort into learning and diversifying my skill ( I even taught myself to play the piano in my music theory classes).
After college, the attention left. The competition was extensive, my focus was pulled in more than one direction, the game was somewhat rigged, and I just so happened to showcasing as record labels were being decimated by Napster, Limewire, and other websites that allowed people to pirate music. All factors that I failed to see. I took it to mean one thing; I simply wasn’t good enough.
Bands came and went, with each ending being more deflating. My biggest swing over saturated the Nashville market, thinning our crowds, and we shelved an album that was lost in production hell, never to be released.
All of that led to insecurities. I didn’t even perform confidently anymore. Eventually I would start to release music as a solo artist. But I would fail to promote it, I stopped playing live, and I would be devastated when it wouldn’t sell. To this day, I still struggle with self-doubt, a lack of confidence, and fear and anxiety when I try to release music. I pick it apart in production. I HATE my voice. Moral of the story: insecurity and self-doubt are big beasts to slay.
When reading about the background of Central Pennsylvania’s Olivia Elizabeth Basar, I was surprised to read that she struggles with the same afflictions. Self-doubt kept her from releasing music until 2023, when she would eventually release her debut single.
Growing up, Basar was a passionate student of music. She would sing in choir, she liked to pluck around on the piano, and she loved listening to artists like Vanessa Carlton, Mitski, Samia, and Phoebe Bridgers. It was this passion that would push her past her self-doubt and cross over to becoming an official recording artist.
On March 31st, 2023, Basar would release her debut single, The Pattern, a piano ballad that references her own self-afflicting behavior. She would follow this debut with a peppier, pop rock song, Back Where I Was, which released July 14th of 2023. She would then close out 2023 with the acoustic ballad, Make Sure You Will, releasing December 12th of 2023.
It would be six months in 2024 before Basar would release her next single. Close to Me, released on June 21st, 2024, would revisit the rock sound she featured on Back Where I Was. In September. She would release the song that I will be reviewing, Achilles.
Basar’s most recent release, Spinning, released last Friday, February 21st, 2025.
About the Song
Achilles is the 5th studio single to be released by independent recording artist, Olivia Elizabeth Basar. It was released on September 27th, 2024 by Let it Evolve Records. At a little more than three and a half minutes, it features Basar on vocals, accompanied by her performance on acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, synth, and backing vocals. Achilles is a pop rock song.
About the Music
Achilles opens with a short intro performed by the acoustic guitar and a simple drum part. After the intro, the first verse comes in, accompanied by the same progression in the intro.
The chorus is amplified by opening the drums, layering the acoustic, and introducing electric guitar and bass, as well as the small synth part that plays a quick little arpeggiated riff after each vocal line. The vocal part also opens and the backing vocals come in behind the lead vocals.
The second verse drops back down dynamically but keeps the bass and a restrained rhythm from the electric guitar. This leads into the second chorus which repeats the formula of the first.
The bridge of this song is a very delightful break from the progressions of the chorus. Performing a walk up vocally, Basar incorporates a filter effect on her vocals that pulls back dynamically but helps build the anticipation of the closing chorus.
The production quality of this song is strong. I’m not sure if Basar is recording in a studio or if it’s a home studio. I don’t know if she’s doing it all herself or if she is working with a producer and an engineer. The quality sounds professionally done. As far as indie artists I’ve reviewed, the production value is right up there with Han‘s (and he’s a professional recording engineer).
About the Lyrics
The lyrical value of this song is relatable, it’s an interesting hook, and the chorus is very catchy. This song has definite “ear worm” potential. I know, because I was singing it all day yesterday (probably testing the patience of my coworkers).
“Unassuming at the right time. You wanna know what’s on my mind. And I’ll give you credit, you’re persistent. But speaking the truth, I’m resisting.”
The verse is the perfect setup for the chorus and the focal point of the song. As Basar introduces the first-person subject, the verse alludes to this relationship between the subject and object they’re speaking to as either a new relationship or an on-again/off-again type situation. In the verse, our subject is insinuating that they’re preference is to end this relationship.
“You ask what is my Achilles. Well I think it is you. And you know where just to get me. Well I think it is you. And you know where just to get me. Well I think it’s you”
The chorus tells us that our subject’s object is a very persuasive, convincing being. As the subject is pulling away, the object is able to pull them right back in because they know where the subject is most vulnerable, emotionally.
Achilles is a surprisingly sweet love song that tells the story of an imperfect relationship that thrives in passion. I think it is a completely relatable scenario and, lyrically, tells the story very well.
Final Thoughts
I’ve listened to Olivia Basar’s entire catalog of work a few times now. Her music is consistently good, melodically uplifting, with disciplined composition, and clever crafted songwriting, lyrically. Basar has a very pleasant voice, her pitch and tonal qualities are strong. Musically, she operates well between acoustic pop to pop rock. She can be dynamic in these categories.
I think Basar has shown she is a capable musician. I think I can speak for the hundreds of people who have discovered her music to this point and say that we are glad that Basar has stepped out of her comfort zone and introduced us to her music. My hope is that she continues to do so.
I think you’re ready, Olivia.
I know your listeners are ready. It’s time for an album. It can be an EP or LP. We just want to hear a conceptual collection of work. I think an album would be very good coming from you.
Olivia’s music can be streamed here on Spotify.
You can subscribe to her YouTube channel for lyric videos and more content, and you can also follow her on TikTok.
Achilles released September 27th, 2024 and has already been streamed thousands of times.
You can hear Olivia Elizabeth Basar’s newest release, Spinning, which released to the world on February 21st, 2025.
Go press play!
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