Taylor Acorn Finds Beauty in the Wreckage on 'Poster Child': Album Review
- Mikaila Storrs
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Stand-out tracks: "Hangman" "Cheap Dopamine" "Masquerade"
Our favorites: "People Pleaser" "Crashing Out" "Poster Child"
Release date: October 24, 2025
Label: Hopeless Records
For fans of: Charlotte Sands, Avril Lavigne, 5 Seconds of Summer
Pop-punk powerhouse Taylor Acorn bares it all on her sophomore album Poster Child, an explosive yet introspective collection that dives deep into the chaos of toxic relationships and the fragile nature of self-worth. The record wrestles with one central question: why do we stay in relationships with people who don’t treat us right, or refuse to choose us first? Acorn doesn’t just explore that tension; she dissects it with knife-sharp lyrics and an honesty that cuts to the bone.
The record opens with “People Pleaser,” where Acorn captures the suffocating exhaustion of constantly molding yourself to fit someone else’s expectations. “Call me a people pleaser, only here for your leisure,” she sings, a gut punch for anyone who’s ever dimmed their light just to be loved. That theme carries into “Crashing Out,” a track that embodies the twisted thrill of chasing someone who keeps you hanging by a thread. “I keep on talking you up to my therapist / she said no, look, you might just be a masochist,” she admits, perfectly summing up the addictive pull of a toxic relationship.
“Hangman” slows things down, offering space for heartbreak to linger. Here, Acorn wonders what she did in a past life to deserve not being someone’s first choice, begging to be “cut down” and freed from emotional limbo. That self-reflection deepens on “Cheap Dopamine,” where she compares love to a drug and confesses, “Was I ever worth anything, or was I just cheap dopamine?” It’s one of the album’s most poignant moments, showing how losing control in pursuit of love can make you lose sight of yourself.
The emotional weight shifts to rage and reclamation with “Blood on Your Hands,” a guitar-heavy anthem where Acorn sharpens her pop-punk edge. She likens a relationship’s collapse to a crime scene, calling out the one who hurt her as the one who shoved a knife through her heart and then played the victim. The song is fiery, bold, and cathartic, a perfect midpoint between heartbreak and empowerment.
Released prior to the album, “Goodbye, Good Riddance” marks a pivotal turning point. After all the pleading and pain, Acorn finally lets go, kissing her ex goodbye and walking away for good. It’s the breath of fresh air the record needs—a moment where heartbreak turns to healing and she decides to stop looking back. Then comes “Vertigo,” a shimmering anthem that captures the dizzying rush of new love. “My heart’s deadset but my head’s so dizzy,” she sings, comparing new love to losing balance and diving in without caution. It’s the kind of track that reminds you why falling feels so dangerous, and so irresistible.
Finally, Poster Child closes with “Masquerade,” a stunning emotional finale that ties the album’s themes together. After a full cycle of heartbreak, self-doubt, and rediscovery, Acorn decides to stop pretending and embrace her true self. “Fuck this masquerade, I’ll smash the champagne as I run out the door / because this isn’t fun anymore,” she declares, ending the album with fierce honesty and liberation.
With Poster Child, Taylor Acorn delivers her most emotionally charged and lyrically fearless work to date. It’s a raw, cathartic journey through the highs and lows of love, heartbreak, and self-acceptance, proof that even in the wreckage, there’s beauty in taking the mask off and finding your voice again.
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