Emerging from years of classical training in violin and singing, nineteen-year-old Eva Westphal has forayed into pop music with the mini-album Morning Shower. The two-part release, which premieres exclusively on Adolescent Content, comprises songs “Dear Anna” and “Morning Shower.”

“Morning Shower” takes on the pit of the stomach feeling of letting an ex back in, only to regret it in the morning. “Till I get in my morning shower / the drink goes down the drain,” Westphal sings as the song opens. “I wash off the part where I make a bad decision and let you in again.” Instead of wallowing in shame, Westphal opts for reflection. She reconciles her present happiness with the turmoil of her toxic relationship, and how that relationship prevented her from growing into herself: “But in those dreams, I’m frozen / stuck in little moments / I think you liked me broken.”

“‘Morning Shower’ was written about somebody who hurt me, and who I tried for years to let go—they had a grip on me,” Westphal says. In the aftermath of the relationship’s end, she was finally able to discern the negative impact that it had on her as an individual, describing the experience of writing the two songs as “therapeutic.” The process of healing through music was familiar to Westphal, given her classical training and knowledge of music theory. “Growing up playing violin and singing classically has had a significant impact on how I make music now, especially since I’m able to interpret the music that comes to me into chords and melodies,” she says.

Before laying down chords, though, she simply starts with a voice memo. “The beginning of a song idea usually ‘writes itself’ in my mind—whether it’s a chord progression, a melody, or a sentence that I’ll work into lyrics,” Westphal says. “My brain kind of just comes up with something and I notice it and have to immediately grab my phone.” From there, a song takes anywhere from ten minutes to a couple of days to come together.

Written about the same relationship, “Dear Anna” is a letter from Westphal to her former partner. Head on, she confronts the power that was lauded over her in their dynamic. “And you said I was special so why’d you do what you did / did you forget that I was a kid,” she sings in the chorus. With acute self-awareness, Westphal reckons that while she has moved on from the relationship, she can’t forgive her partner’s toxicity. 

The most poignant section of “Dear Anna” is a gentle musing in which Westphal, who is currently a student at Columbia University and rising TikTok star, paints a picture of herself in the present day, independent and fulfilled: “I’m at a bookstore in New York, and for the first time, I feel relieved / I’m younger than you were when we first met but I’m ten times the person you’ll ever be.”

Stream Morning Shower on Spotify and check out Eva Westphal on Instagram and TikTok.