Iris Copperman's EP, 'Middle School Dropout' is an Invitiation into Her Coming-of-Age Story
Photo by Mikayla LoBasso
At just 14 years old, Iris Copperman holds an entire universe inside of her. Her recent single, “Struggle Bus,” graciously beckons us into her coming-of-age journey as she wrestles with the complicated feelings of being a teenager–– and her ultimate transition into homeschool. Her ink-stained journal pages bleed into her songs, resulting in candid, introspective storytelling, similar to Olivia Rodrigo or Gracie Abrams’ lyrical prowess.
But it’s clear Copperman is doing her own thing, already establishing an assured artist identity so early in her career. At just five years old, the singer-songwriter began learning guitar and piano to accompany her bedroom lyrics, slowly developing the finesse to capture the visceral emotions she was experiencing. The result, years later, is a collection of tracks that reflects an honest outpouring of her soul as she navigates both the beauty and the chaos of adolescence. Her forthcoming EP, Middle School Dropout, is one of the most impressive and confident debut projects from an emerging artist to date. In celebration, Copperman held a showcase at Interscope Records, where she debuted the EP to an intimate audience.
Her stage setup was filled with props you would find on a middle school campus, from double-tiered lockers to a cluster of desks in front of a scribbled chalkboard. Copperman headed straight towards the piano for “Struggle Bus” to kick off the showcase, donning a yellow rain jacket she wore in the track’s music video. “I’m the perfect definition / Of a walking contradiction / In and out of my mind / I do it all in record time,” she crooned into the mic. The singer occupied the stage like a seasoned artist, her vocals steady and effortless. “Struggle Bus is about all of the different versions of yourself that you may encounter throughout life,” she wrote in an Instagram post about the song. “ I have really learned to love and appreciate each and every one of them.”
She further immerses the audience into her world by incorporating the sounds of a school bell ringing and classroom chatter throughout the set. At one point, she stores her yellow coat in one of the lockers before slinging on an acoustic guitar and transitioning into the next song, an apology letter for the awkward, disarrayed feelings she’s been going through. She’s unafraid to spill her guts, even if it means being vulnerable about her own insecurities: “I overshare, it’s not ideal / I cry too much / I really, really feel like I make a mess,” she gushes over jangly chords.
Despite the emotional turmoil she’s faced, an air of forgiveness threads through the project, both for herself and the people who weren’t the kindest towards her. In her performance for “Bully,” she tries to understand the bullies she’s come across during her time in middle school, flipping the narrative around as she asks, “Hurt people hurt people, so who hurt you?” Copperman even weaves in an empowering verse from Grace Abrams’ “That’s So True,” to enhance her own story of perseverance. “Kinder” takes it a step further as Copperman makes the conscious decision to extend a hand of empathy to the people who hurt her, delivering a soulful, balladic performance that left the room silent with awe.
Copperman’s music is clearly that of a rising star stepping into herself with curiosity, grace, and honesty. Middle School Dropout’s diaristic lyricism offers a warm, compassionate embrace to every part of herself, and every listener of her music, no matter their age or season of life, will surely resonate with it.
