At just 19 years old, Sombr has grown to be a global rising star with his release of his debut album I Barely Know Her. Fans were given fresh retro pop music with a whole lot of emotion. Co-produced with Tony Berg and entirely written by the new pop artist himself, he dropped his record August 22nd, 2025, and sent streams through the roof. Each track reached over 3 million Spotify streams within just 2 weeks. I Barely Know Her also has hit number 12 on the Billboard 200, 3 weeks after its release.
Sombr’s success in the music industry began after his single back to friends was released December 2024. This song became a viral audio on social media and a radio hit setting the stage for his rise to becoming a worldwide sensation. Leading up to his debut, he drops undressed, we never dated, and his retro hit 12 to 12 within three months before the release date. These hot hits gave fans a sense of emotion that they would experience throughout Sombr’s entire album. With his hard-hitting lyrics and retro style, I Barely Know Her became a whole other version of alternative pop.
This album has brought out Sombr’s old school, retro era with his classic oversized suit, microphone stand and corded microphone. His TV debut performance of back to friends on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, got fans talking when he came out with his iconic, custom-made silver ball shaped microphone stand. This new style brings back the music era of the 70s and 80s with a modern flare to this generation. Sombr’s black and white, retro aesthetic from the cover art of his singles, his music videos, and outfits from his performances nicely complement his disco pop hits. Sombr shows his true emotions from a recent breakup through his relatable lyrics which has brought fans a lot closer to the artist. Each lyric is filled with powerful metaphors that hit fans hard with emotion. This is completely contrasted with his disco pop and indie soft rock music giving the album that classic Sombr effect fans adore.
Sombr’s new album has some amazing qualities that is very much needed in this generation’s music culture. His biggest strengths when it comes to his music is his ability to create such dramatic and heart wrenching bridges in each of his songs. Sombr uses long notes and metaphorical lyrics to add to his heartbreaking narrative.
One that really stood out is the bridge from canal street, one of his songs with a slower tempo. This really brought out his real and raw feelings. The bridge in this song hit fans with full emotional impact with his one liner “was I what you wanted? Even for a little while?” and long vocalisations. Fans can feel Sombr’s heartbreak where it is almost like a powerful emotional release for him in each bridge.
It is very clear that Sombr has thoroughly put thought into the order of his songs in this album. Just from the opening of the first song, Sombr sets the energy for the entire album. He starts of crushing with an indie rock crossed with 70s funk in the song’s opening, as well as his little vocal he used before the lyrics commence. The rest of the tracks flow so smoothly into each other where the last note of one song changes into the first note of the next song blends seamlessly. The last song of the album under the mat was the best way to finish his debut, tying up the album beautifully. It is the dramatic ending of his musical, emotional ‘crash out’. With Sombr’s expressive lyrics, hard hitting music notes, and dramatic background vocals, this song gave listeners all the emotions from every song in one.
The only downside of the young artist’s debut is the release of four popular singles long before the album drop. As much as fans love these singles and hearing them as part of Sombr’s work, listeners lose that initial excitement of listening to them when the full album is listened to. Releasing too many songs before a record drop can make fans skip the songs more often as it has been overused online and overplayed by the public.
Overall, Sombr’s debut I Barely Know Her is a huge success. Listeners were given a mix of emotional vulnerability and nostalgic sound. Considering he was only 19 when his work was written and recorded, the pop artist shares his amazing talent while reviving music from the past with a modern twist. Sombr shows listeners that real music hasn’t disappeared from the music industry in this current generation.
Sombr has become a true young pop artist and fans cannot wait to hear what he brings next.
Caitlin 
Clara 
Kath Smart