In a world brimming with love songs and heartbreaking lyrics, it’s a pleasant surprise to come across Jess Meilman’s debut single “Guilty Soulmate”, a riveting track that plants a fresh seed of doubt in the minds of lovers: Who’s really the soulmate?
And who’s guilty of loving the wrong person?
With this premise, Meilman delivers remarkable songwriting in a short song that reaches incredible depths. “Guilty Soulmate” examines the complicated feeling of being in love with someone while also being secretly afraid that the loved one’s true soulmate will eventually take them away and wrestling with whether that other person qualifies guilty or good.
It’s a hypothetical, mind-bending analysis of a relationship that’s all-too-relatable – and it’s agonizing.
There are plenty of tracks about eternal love: stories of soulmates who are perfect for each other and end up staying together forever. However, Meilman takes an entirely different path: What if I’m not actually your soulmate?
Can perseverance prevail over so-called destiny?
From the first notes, “Guilty Soulmate” reels you in; the ambient guitar and riffs, followed by laid-back percussion, create a soothing layer for Meilman’s emotive voice. It’s all a stage for Meilman to deliver her heartbreaking, thought-provoking lyrics. And things really get real in the song’s bridge; soft keys and an instrumental part reflect the frailty of Meilman’s feelings:
“I pray I haven’t strayed you away from your guilty soulmate.”
Meilman grew up singing, writing and performing in her family’s piano room, where she would sit for hours creating songs. She considers Tori Kelly and Maggie Rogers great sources of inspiration, and you can clearly sense their influence in the mood and atmosphere of “Guilty Soulmate”. While Meilman’s career started with features in songs by EDM artist Adam Kahati, she emerged as a solo indie artist with “Guilty Soulmate” and has since been featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlist with follow-up single, “Plenty”. She’s been working on a collection of music to be released later this year.
If “Guilty Soulmate” is any indication, those releases are worth looking forward to.
Bottom line: If you’re in your head about a relationship, you’re not alone. “Guilty Soulmate” gets it – even (especially) when the relationship is difficult to “get.” You can stream “Guilty Soulmate” on repeat on Spotify, and don’t forget to check out Jess Meilman’s Instagram for updates on her music.
