Miquela has returned with another shimmering, synth-heavy anthem, "Automatic," proving that pop's next evolution is taking place right before our eyes.
For a career that began with one viral TikTok, the digital avatar-turned-pop phenomenon has pushed the limits of what it means to be an artist in an age where the internet is the final frontier. Automatic is no exception. "Automatic" fuses ethereal production with sleek, futuristic beats, twisting with effortless cool, as Miquela's breathy vocals slide through a hypnotic, electronic soundscape. It's a track that sounds designed for late-night drives through neon travesties or drifting off under the haze of a dance floor.
"Automatic" flirts with ideas of control and detachment, an ironic wink to her being a virtual entity. The way she trembles and caresses lines with almost mechanical precision results in a haunting effect, even as "Automatic" is undeniably organic at the base. It's pop, but with an attitude, as if Robyn and Charli XXCX's Futurist sound had a digital baby.
Miquela's ascendance may raise questions, though Where does the artist end and the algorithm begin? But the answer doesn't matter much if "Automatic" is an example. "Automatic" sells itself, and in a time when digital representations have as much power as their unfolding nature counterparts, Miquela is not only included in the dialogue, but she's dominating it.