Today, we give the red carpet treatment to the radiant French visionary Jeremy Soyan. On March 6th, the stars aligned for us lucky music lovers to receive Jeremy’s debut EP, an utter masterpiece of an EP that contains four tracks of pure bliss, dubbed the “Miseducation of a Saint Boy.” It is not often that you get the chance to review an EP that is not only an introduction to the world of music but also an introduction to the world of the artist himself, an artist who wears their heart on their sleeve and makes every melody an epiphany. Let us dive into the layers of the music that make Jeremy Soyan’s work so spectacular.

EP breathes to life with “Saint- Louis”. It’s a low-fi ambient piano hum, like an old radio tuning into a memory. It’s followed by the solitary piano melody that feels lonely and expansive. It’s not an introduction; it’s an admission. The thematic significance of “Saint-Louis” is that it represents the foundational geography of Jeremy’s mind. It’s an exploration of the tension between the person Jeremy was supposed to become in his hometown and the “saint boy” who eventually had to leave home to survive. This persona seems to have built up character because of where he is from and the people who matter to him. As for the vocals, Jeremy uses a breathless, almost whispery tone that is mixed very closely to the front of the mix, so it feels like he’s leaning in to whisper the words into the listener’s ear. The instrumentation continues to be minimalist, so that the quiet between the notes feels like it’s bearing the weight of Jeremy’s nostalgia. It creates the feeling of “homesick for a place that no longer exists,” so there’s already an incredibly high emotional standard set for the rest of the work in this EP.

The next song is “Coeur Wanted.” This song shatters the silence with a dry electronic beat, a ticking sound. The beat sounds like a ticking clock. When the bass enters, the song takes on a soulful quality that is much more down-to-earth than the first song. “Coeur Wanted” delves into the transactional nature of intimacy. Now, the context of this song is that the word “coeur” is the French word for “heart”. The song has a very raw quality to it, a very honest portrayal of how we perform for others to be seen. The lyrics talk about a person putting up a “wanted” sign for their heart. This song reminds me of the tin man from the popular book and movies “The Wizard of Oz”. Like the tin man in the movie, our character too wants a heart. Musically speaking, the vocal performance is far more dynamic in this song, as Jeremy ranges from a smooth R&B-inspired croon to strained, emotive belts that emphasize the desperation of the theme. It is mainly performed in French, with a few English words in it, but it does not take away from the experience; it, in fact, adds to it. The instrumentation adds warm analog synths over that crisp percussion, creating a contrast between warm and cold that evokes the idea of being in a crowded room but feeling completely alone. It hits the listener with a wave of relatability, the chase.

At number three, we have the track “Sors Le Pistol”. The tone of the music shifts dramatically as the song begins with a distorted synth lead that growls like a jagged edge. It’s the most upbeat opening to any track on the EP thus far. It’s not about violence in the streets; it’s a metaphorical standoff against oneself. The theme is about “killing” the parts of your ego that hold you back from moving forward. It’s the violent process of breaking free from a skin that no longer fits. This song is especially relatable because I can admit that we all have parts of ourselves we would like to cut out, especially if they are holding us back. Jeremy’s vocals are rapid-fire and percussive, almost like the firing of a weapon to illustrate the “miseducation” of learning to protect oneself too well. This song is also performed in French and is very beautiful. The instrumentation is upbeat, with electronic sounds that seem to be closing in on the listener. It’s a disorienting but necessary experience, providing the “fire” necessary to burn away the saint-like qualities alluded to in the title of the EP, leaving the listener invigorated and perhaps a little vulnerable.

“You & I, Hell” is the closing song. The final track begins with an ambient pad that sounds like looking out over an empty city at 4:00 AM. It’s cinematic and melancholy. The final track is the culmination of the entire journey that the songs have taken the listener on, and it’s about the relationship that has become a beautiful, inescapable prison. The song is about the idea that the love between the two people has become so strong that it’s become a form of purgatory, a “hell” that only the two of them can understand. Jeremy’s performance is at its strongest here, using falsetto that sounds like he’s trying to escape from something. The music builds from that single chord into an orchestral pop masterpiece. It puts the listener in a state of catharsis; it’s the sound of finally letting go of being a “Saint Boy” and embracing the messy, painful, and beautiful reality of being human.

Jeremy Soyan’s first EP release, “Miseducation of a Saint Boy,” is a radiant excavation of the soul, a work that teeters on the edge of the line between unadulterated vulnerability and the glittering, sometimes jagged, hunger for fame. It is the capturing of the brief, lightning-bolt moments when our emotions are so ambitious that they feel almost dangerously unrealistic, the kind of emotions that feel too large for the room they occupy. Through the interweaving of introspective, diary-style lyrical work with shimmering pop hooks, Soyan has crafted a bilingual sanctuary in which French and English blend like two rivers flowing as one. This dichotomy is the lifeblood of the record, and it is a poetic tug of war with the culture and the identity that is at once intensely personal and yet universally relatable. Every single performance on the record is bathed in a cinematic mysticism, and Soyan is not simply a musician; he is crafting a world. He is a staggeringly talented artist, a shimmering light in the indie music world, and this EP has left us breathless and hungry for more of whatever he is willing to share with the world.

Stream the “Miseducation Of A Saint Boy” EP on Spotify

Follow Jeremie Soyan here and his socials: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube