Lana Crow has always written like someone holding a flashlight to the corners of her own psyche, but “Orwellian Times” turns that light outward. The British pop and pop rock artist has been teasing a shift toward sharper commentary, and this new single feels like the moment she fully leans into it. It is a pointed, hook-heavy track that studies the moral theatrics and digital fatigue shaping the modern psyche. Instead of preaching, Crow dissects everything with a mix of frustration, exhaustion, and sly self-awareness.
The song opens with punchy guitars and synths that flicker between cinematic tension and radio-ready gloss. Crow’s voice cuts in with a tone that is equal parts weary and defiant. The first verse questions the social habits we have normalized: the hunger for outrage, the instinct to perform morality online, and the speed at which nuance vanishes in the digital churn. When she sings “Self righteousness is killing all sense,” it lands with a sting because she is not singing from above the mess. She is standing in it.
That is the core strength of the track. Crow avoids the trap so many culture-critique songs fall into. She does not posture as the enlightened outsider calling the rest of us out. Instead, the song feels like someone wrestling with their own complicity, their own burnout, and their own impulse to react before reflecting. The chorus lifts into something anthemic, a hook you could shout in a crowded room yet still feel slightly uneasy about. It is catchy in a way that makes the message stick long after the track ends.
Musically, “Orwellian Times” sits at the crossroads of indie pop and pop rock. The production layers guitars, pulsing bass, and synth lines that glitter without overwhelming the vocal. The arrangement mirrors the theme. There is tension, release, and a sense of pressure building under the surface. Crow uses her voice like a scalpel, shifting from intimate corners to full-bodied declarations. It feels precise and intentional.
What makes the single resonate most is its refusal to offer easy answers. Crow poses a question that lingers: Are we living in Orwellian times or are we simply living in a moment where performance has replaced intention? She never tells us which. She invites us to sit with the discomfort, to consider what we have helped create.
“Orwellian Times” is Crow’s boldest work yet, a pop rock flashpoint that challenges listeners without forgetting its responsibility to entertain. It proves she can craft a hook and provoke a thought in the same breath.
Featured Image: Artist Supplied
