The self-proclaimed “loudest sort of introvert” may be physically reserved, but she’s emotionally vulnerable in her lyricism. At 23, Caroline Romano makes coming of age feel normal. To know Romano is to know her music taste — Lorde, Noah Kahan and Taylor Swift — and her quirks, such as a love for soggy cereal.
Following her 2022 album “Oddities & Prodigies” and 2023 EP “A Brief Epic,” Romano’s latest EP, How the Good Girls Die, is both a continuation of old music and a new chapter of maturity.
“The songs on the EP are grown-up versions of what I wrote as a teenager. In some ways, it’s more sure of itself,” Romano said.
Romano has been writing and performing since she was 15, and throughout it all, she has explored the complexities of adolescence and now young adulthood through songwriting.
“[‘How the Good Girls Die’] is about darkness, realizing you’re safe from it and knowing who you are,” Romano said.
The EP’s sound is heavily shaped by the music Romano grew up with and the music on her current playlist, drawing influence from producers like Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and Dan Nigro, all of which have worked with the likes of Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
The infectious chorus of “Body Bag” evokes the energy of Lorde’s “Melodrama” and Charli XCX’s “brat” album.
“I think I got a nosebleed and she’s holding my hair back / The party’s over / Can’t find a lover / Silhouette my best dress like a body bag,” Romano sings in “Body Bag.”
Everyone has a place where they go to seek comfort and reflection. The EP cover shows Romano sitting on the roof of her house, overlooking the Nashville skyline. She wants listeners to visualize their own personal sanctuaries — whether it’s a rooftop, a parking garage or somewhere else. For Romano, the roof symbolizes a refuge where she processes emotions like betrayal and insecurity, central themes in “How the Good Girls Die.”
“Throw away my youth and stunted all my growing pains / You ask me how I am and I say I don’t know these days,” Romano sings in “IDK These Days,” a song sure to resonate with fans of Olivia Rodrigo.
Many of the narratives in “How the Good Girls Die” capture moments both as they happened in real-time and in retrospect. Romano describes her songwriting as cyclical, constantly revealing new perspectives on past experiences. One such experience — a Halloween party — instinctively became the song “Pretty Boys.”
“To hold my breath, holding out for you / What was the point of ten months leading up for just one kiss when we were drunk,” Romano sings in “Pretty Boys.”
Looking back on the music that shaped her teenage years and early twenties, Romano realizes the most impactful songs weren’t the ones she necessarily understood but the ones that made her feel. While the stories in Lorde’s “Melodrama” weren’t always relatable, the emotions behind them captured exactly what she felt at 18. She hopes her own music provides that same sense of security and understanding for listeners who struggle to put feelings of recklessness and confusion into words.
“Why do I keep holding on to the stories I’ve been told since I was young? / What if it’s not anyone,” Romano sings in “Born to Want More.”
Romano hopes to play more live shows and work on new music in 2025, with her passion for songwriting always at the forefront. In the meantime, Romano encourages young people to embrace their journey.
“It’s so easy to get wrapped up in goals and deadlines and miss life along the way,” Romano said. “My favorite moments have never been when the successes happened, but when you’re making the plans.”
Amid academic pressures, relationships and identity development, these words serve as a much-needed reminder for us to embrace the here and now. Romano proves that this level of mindfulness and intentionality is within reach — if you’re willing to embrace it.
