British-Armenian artist Ripsime just re-released three early tracks alongside the launch of her own imprint, RIP Records. Following her standout singles “Shamanic Faith” and “Paradise,” these re-releases pull songs from earlier in her catalog back into circulation: “I’ll Understand,” “Dare,” and “Colors of Your Eyes.” Each one captures a different side of her sound, spanning delicate acoustic folk, rock-electronic anthems, and soft-rock intimacy. Ripsime‘s not just a musician and producer, she’s also a visual artist, and each track comes with one of her original paintings as cover art. She’s currently finishing two new records between Yerevan and London, one raw and acoustic, the other electronic and expansive. For now, these re-releases serve as a bridge between where she’s been and where she’s headed.
Each of these three songs is drastically different in style, and they only scratch the surface of Ripsime‘s multidimensionality. The songs are also accompanied by 3 of Ripisime‘s original paintings on the cover. Stunning works of art in their own right and a great showcase of Ripisime‘s versatility as an artist.
“Dare” begins with a bouncy bassline, signaling that this will be a pop-style song. All the bells and whistles are here: Catchy hooks and danceable drum grooves, and acoustic guitars to drive the energy. But also, there are a couple of unique sections that don’t adhere to the status quo of such songs in the genre. Ripisime isn’t afraid to experiment with her vocal delivery and song structure.
“I’ll Understand (Live)” is a straight-ahead folk-style ballad. The intimacy of this performance is tangible. It’s difficult not to tear up at this honest and powerfully grounded song. Two minutes is all this one-take live performance is, but the effect it will have on you will last much longer than that. I personally hope Ripisime continues to pursue this style with future releases.
“Colors Of Your Eyes” can’t really be pinned down to a single genre. It’s got the harmony of a neo-soul song and the humming backing vocals to go along with it. But the string arrangement on this song just takes it to a completely different level of magic as the breathy vocals hypnotically whisper to you confessions of love. It’s actually magical that all these elements came together to become this warm hug of a song.
These re-releases prove Ripsime‘s range isn’t just talk. She moves between folk, pop, and soul without any of it feeling forced or calculated. The decision to launch RIP Records and put these tracks back out shows she’s building something sustainable on her own terms. With two new records on the way, it’s clear she’s not interested in staying in one lane. If these three songs are any indication of what’s coming, it’s worth paying attention.
