Lala Lala dials up openness and velocity on “Does This Go Faster?”

American singer-songwriter Lillie West, aka Lala Lala, returns gloriously with her new single “Does This Go Faster?”, making it her first new music in a year and a half. It’s also her first record under the storied Sub Pop Records label, marking both a new chapter in her career and a bold artistic step forward. It’s a song that refuses to let introspection and ignition exist apart from each other, pointing to the fact that even when we’re lost or anxious about where we’re headed next, there’s something powerful in double-checking that the pedal is all the way down

Co-written and co-produced with Melina Duterte, the song plays like an anxious back-and-forth between momentum and message. West’s breathy but assertive vocals rise above pillows of glowing synths, webs of textural guitars, and pulsating bass lines from Duterte, while Abby Black’s drums serve as a heartbeat that beats with urgency in measured time. Sen Morimoto’s saxophone adds an unexpected burst of surprise to the song, bringing it all together in a warm emotional exhale, like this moment where you realize, wait, maybe I shouldn’t rush to get to my destination and instead enjoy the ride there.

“Does This Go Faster?” captures an anxious hum of wanting to move forward, faster, freer, more purposeful, and also wrangling with what’s left behind. There is a familiar ache beneath the glossy surface, an undercurrent of openness that fans of West’s early work will recognize immediately. Directed by Jackson James, the music video reflects the song’s dreamy, disconcerting, and alive nature, offering a stellar visual portrait of Lala Lala’s growth as both writer and performer.

Connect with Lala Lala on Instagram