There’s a rawness to ’17’ that feels almost unfiltered, like it hasn’t been softened for comfort or shaped for easy listening. Instead, Hailey Hermida leans fully into the volatility of youth, capturing a moment where emotions erupt to the surface.
From the outset, the track carries a restless energy. Guitars grind and swell with a gritty edge, pulling from the weight of 90s alternative rock while still feeling immediate and current. There’s also a sense that things could unravel at any second, which only adds to its impact.
What truly drives the song, though, is her dynamic vocal performance. There’s no distance between her and the emotion she’s expressing, and you can hear that frustration sitting just beneath the surface before breaking through in waves.
Lyrically, ’17’ zeroes in on that very specific experience of being caught between adolescence and adulthood, where expectations grow heavier but clarity remains out of reach. Hailey navigates that space with a sharp sense of honesty, reflecting the pressure, the misjudgement, and the internal chaos that often define that age.
The track channels the spirit of bands like Paramore and Bikini Kill, but those influences act as a foundation for something shaped by her own experiences and perspective.
In capturing that intensity without diluting it, Hailey Hermida delivers a track that feels both specific and universal. Not just a reflection of being seventeen, it’s a reminder of what it felt like to live it.