While the days of A-side/B-side singles are mostly behind us, their utility will never be lost. Reviving the concept on her newest release, pop’s inevitable alt-star Devon Again flaunts both sides of her emotionality on her double single “cherry cola / sunburn.” The dynamic, sugar-rush elements of “cherry cola” express themselves in Devon Again’s rampant delivery, her craving sending her into blissful delirium. Here, her voice is sunny and histrionic, evidenced in the mockingly-amusing “na-na-na-na” adlibs after she calls out the bass guitar on the track. As she often does, Devon Again feels unrestrained on “cherry cola,” her infectious lust for life maturing into an addiction within her music. 

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The transition into the more sober “sunburn” is eased by the sparkling descent of “cherry cola” – the track disintegrates in the fashion of a sugar-crash, a come-down that leaves little room for symbolism. Instead, Devon Again is matter-of-fact in her sentiments: “I still can’t think straight / At least it's summer / Wanted a clean slate / I got a sunburn,” she sings, with less enthusiasm but equal earnesty in a more subdued setting than her previous track. “Loving you is harder when we haven’t talked in months / Loving you is hard because I’m never gonna stop,” she finally relents, her vocals layered just as they were on “cherry cola” to rapturous effect. Here, however, it leads to devastating ends. A prominent visualist, Devon Again shared accompanying videos for both songs, each pointedly capturing the energy of the music and the artist. Just as there are two sides to every coin, Devon Again operates in duplicity across the majority of her music, maniacally tragic and exuberantly expressionistic often within the same song. Each side of her identity holds the same amount of value, though. “cherry cola / sunburn” is the most realized proof in her career so far, a ceremonious high and harrowing low that contribute to her biggest release so far.

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