There’s a specific kind of tension that runs through Sorry Not Sorry, the second EP from London-based singer, songwriter, and producer EL$ON. It’s the tension between wanting to move on and not quite being ready to let go. This project feels less like a comeback and more like a confession. The shift in identity isn’t cosmetic; it signals a darker, more inward-facing chapter, one shaped by heartbreak, self-medication, and the emotional fog that comes after everything falls apart.
Sonically, Sorry Not Sorry sits squarely in the lineage of mid-2010s alternative R&B. The ghosts of The Weeknd, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Miguel hover over the entire record, but EL$ON isn’t simply imitating them. Instead, he borrows their sound like how Drake borrows other styles; filtered vocals, ambient pads, trap-leaning percussion and uses it to tell his own story. The result is an EP that feels familiar in texture but personal in tone, like overhearing someone else’s late-night thoughts through a thin apartment wall.
The opening track, “WANTED,” immediately establishes the project’s emotional stakes. It introduces the sense of craving that defines much of the EP; not just wanting another person, but wanting relief from the feeling of being alone with your own thoughts. The production is sparse but heavy, with drifting synths and a beat that feels slightly unsteady, as if it might collapse at any moment. That instability mirrors the emotional landscape EL$ON is about to explore.
“DON’T KNOW WHY” and “ONLY ME” push further into that uncertainty. These tracks revolve around confusion, regret, and the kind of circular thinking that follows a breakup. The vocals are often filtered, pitched, and distorted, giving the impression that EL$ON is singing through layers of memory and self-doubt. It’s a smart production choice: instead of presenting a clean, confident voice, he lets the imperfections and artifacts become part of the storytelling.
“MORE OF YOU” is one of the EP’s standout moments, stretching past three minutes and allowing its atmosphere to fully bloom. The track leans into longing, not as something romantic, but as something almost painful. The slow build of the instrumental creates a sense of being pulled deeper into a feeling you know isn’t good for you but can’t quite escape. It’s here that EL$ON’s melodic instincts shine, balancing vulnerability with a subtle sense of restraint.
The midpoint of the EP turns more explicitly toward nostalgia and regret. “TAKE ME BACK” is not a triumphant plea but a weary one, framed by soft electronic textures and understated percussion. It doesn’t promise change; it simply expresses the desire to rewind time, even if that means returning to something broken. “WHATEVER U WANT” continues that thread, capturing the emotional imbalance that often follows a breakup, when one person is still trying to give while the other has already begun to drift away.
The closing track “LUV/LUST” neatly sums up the EP’s core conflict. Throughout Sorry Not Sorry, EL$ON constantly blurs the line between emotional attachment and physical desire. The production here is darker and more minimal, letting the weight of that ambiguity hang in the air. It’s an ending that doesn’t resolve anything, which feels entirely appropriate for a project so invested in the messiness of real emotional fallout.
Sorry Not Sorry compelling in its stylings. This isn’t a glossy breakup record designed for radio. It’s a moody, introspective EP that sits comfortably in the shadows, content to explore discomfort rather than polish it away. By embracing distortion, ambience and melancholy, EL$ON has crafted a project that feels cohesive and emotionally grounded. It’s the sound of an artist figuring himself out in real time and inviting the listener to sit with him in that uncertainty.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
