It is safe to say that Towa Bird is having a moment. The British-Filipino sensation – who first picked up guitar aged 12 – went viral over lockdown with her theatrical riffing over WILLOW and Supertramp songs; more recently, she has been thrust into a tabloid spotlight thanks to a reported relationship with Reneé Rapp, for whom Bird currently plays guitar on tour.
While TikTok has caused subcultures to become more pocketed and algorithmically distilled than ever, through it Bird has found her people; backed by Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, a clutch of singles has left fans hungry for more. Leaning into catchy pop and garage rock mixed with an anecdotal edge, Bird’s debut album ‘American Hero’ has a gloss that is, undeniably, all-American.
The highlights are familiar yet often similar, and topped with a canny turn-of-phrase: “I’m Indiana Jones, you’re my last crusade” Bird sings on the punchy ‘Wild Heart’. Spiky anti-capitalist anthem ‘B.I.L.L.S’, meanwhile, sticks it up to The Man.
However, Bird finds growth in the slower moments. ‘This Isn’t Me’ mixes dreamy guitars with moody distortion, before album closer ‘A Party’ dials it back with gentle acoustics and hushed vocals. Together, these songs glide along without much momentum; at times, you are left wondering where the raw influence of her guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix and Prince went.
Growing up between Thailand, Hong Kong, and London, it wasn’t until Bird moved to Los Angeles that she first found herself feeling “very much” like an immigrant, as she previously described to NME. While the slick production of ‘American Hero’ conjures a sound fitting of its satirical title, its songs proudly go against tall, white, ‘Captain America’ archetype – and instead celebrate the multitudes of queer love.
“Tip of my tongue / Sweet and sour / Back of my car / In the shower,” lists Bird on fan-favourite ‘Drain Me’, a peppy ode to lesbian sex that provides an alternative to songs written in the male gaze. Punchy opener ‘FML’ meshes the dizzy pining of long-distance love with the clumsy excitement of crushing hard, all while quipping a Jennifer’s Body rewatch with a knowing wink.
As an “androgynous queer” Filipino, Bird challenges what it means to be American for a generation growing up without the rigid constraints of a stereotype. With ‘American Hero’, she willingly embodies being a symbol of queer visibility for her own young fans; as Bird recently told NME of her music, “to the outside world, it represents much, much more.”
