Greta Isaac serves cinematic chaos in an ice cream cone for 'Dolly Zoom'

No one commits to a project quite like Greta Isaac. This new era opened with a bang; a wiped Instagram feed and a single post captioned "hello to all my fans!!!! Greta if ur reading this, ur cute but it's my turn now :) move OVER". And just like that, 'Dolly Zoom' crash-landed into our timelines: Greta's chaotic, hate-to-love alter ego who demands the spotlight, and we're letting her have it.

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Photographed by Karina Barberis

In what feels like a sonic replication of Dolly's Instagram takeover, the EP's opening track 'SOFT SCOOP TALKING DOG' feels like the wacky, otherworldly birth of the popstar. This is an opening track that only an icon like Greta could get away with, Dolly Zoom crashes through the glass window and makes her presence known, loud and clear. 'SOFT SCOOP TALKING DOG' should be studied as an example of how to open a project. Its chorus 'I'll be what I wanna be / Soft scoop ice cream / Don't you define / I ain't the dictionary' sets the tone for a character that refuses to be boxed in. It tells us that this EP demands time and repeat listens to fully savour every layer.

Any fans of Charli xcx's 'Spring breakers' will share our yearning for a song that captures its reckless, on-edge and unpredictable spirit. 'MOVIE STAR' feels like the yin to that yang. This track oozes celebrity chaos; if it was a mood board it would be full of it girl mugshots like that of Lindsay Lohan circa 2007. Singing along to 'I'm a movie star, I'm a, I'm a movie star' transports you to being a bratty A-lister outside of a club with paparazzi lights relentlessly flashing. Greta's ability to invite listeners into this niche storyline and lifestyle is a testament to her skillful marriage of lyricism and sound to make even the mundane person feel like they're at the peak of their celebrity career.

Photographed by Karina Barberis

After one listen of this four-track EP, you'll walk away with your own version of the Dolly Zoom alter ego. Though riddled with irony and satire -- like the interview sample in which Dolly confesses to putting her hamster in a microwave -- subtle commentaries on womanhood in the public eye resonates deeply. Lines like 'I just don't think that there's enough room up in here for her and me' reveal that even amid scandal and carefree chaos, the weight of patriarchy lingers, affecting Dolly, Greta, and listeners alike.

'CAR CRASH' marks the beginning of Dolly Zoom's gradual downfall -- the all-too-familiar story of fans turning from lovers to haters in the blink of an eye. In this track, Greta's sound begins to mellow out -- but just barely. This track still pulses with the electronic energy we've come to love throughout the project. Its chorus 'So buckle up, take a seat / Let me drive you to the Wonderland / A girl of your dreams / For a minute let's just play pretend' feels like Greta softening Dolly's story, inviting us into a moment of escapism before the inevitable crash.

It would be easy to call a project dotted with film and celebrity references "cinematic", but what Greta has done here is truly deserving of that compliment. This song's refrain hauntingly echoes 'SOS someone call an ambulance / Swear to God I fucked up and I need help'. Regardless of the emotions you may have formed about Dolly so far, it's impossible to not feel the weight of the vulnerability and impending collapse in this track.

Photographed by Karina Barberis

The painful epilogue of the project is 'VILLAIN', it's the song playing as the credits roll on the vivid story that Greta has conjured up, with no detail spared. You can feel the screen fade to black at the end of the movie as the song chants 'La, la-la-la'. It feels reflective and introspective, more than we had seen so far on the project, with lines like 'Forgive me, let me explain / There's something loose in my brain / And I'm bored of making lemonade.' It's the dark-coloured ribbon tying up this project, after revealing the four sides of Dolly.

From here, it's up to the listener, whether on a second listen or another first experience, to dive in and discover something new each time. The closing lines, 'Your nightmare's only just begun / Plot twist maybe I'm the villain,' leave the door slightly ajar, hinting that there's more lurking beneath the surface of this story with every replay.

Totalling in just shy of nine minutes, it's impressive how fully immersed the listener can become in Greta's world of 'Dolly Zoom'. By the end, you feel like you've truly witnessed the rise, fall and afterlife of this alter ego, and you're left wanting more. To return to the EP's opening track and its timely August release, the project feels like soft scoop ice cream: its brain freeze is painful, and it gets messy as it melts, yet somehow, you're left craving more once it's all gone.