“IDK How To Talk To Girls” describes the thrill of initial attraction, and the subsequent apprehension and occasional hint of embarrassment that often comes with this. The song takes on a light-hearted tone, with undercurrents of the social anxiety McCarthy feels in her pursuit of women. McCarthy establishes herself as an obsessive overthinker, analysing her every move in a wave of so-called “gay panic” – the song deals heavily with themes of sexuality and self-discovery as McCarthy declares “I’m not usually like this, butterflies with girls hit different”. Queer people are often faced with an added anxiety even when it comes to harmless flirting, as deciphering whether the attraction is mutual can also mean deciphering whether another person is also queer. Short phrases of lyrics in quick succession over pulsating beats reflect the racing thoughts of this complex web of anxieties, translating these themes into an upbeat indie-pop, rock inspired soundscape.

McCarthy has proven herself time and again a master of catchy hooks and dance-worthy beats; just six months ago she dropped the equally catchy, carefree “She’s Pretty”, which is also due to feature on the EP and features similar characteristics in its throbbing synths and energetic guitar riffs.

Despite appearing on series 3 of BBC1’s The Voice a decade ago, McCarthy is probably best known for her videos on video-sharing platform TikTok. With over 766K TikTok followers, and over 15 million likes on the platform, McCarthy has certainly garnered herself a loyal following. McCarthy has used the platform extensively in promoting the song, creating a series of comedy videos in which she aims to prove she indeed doesn’t know how to talk to girls.

McCarthy’s likeable personality and obvious sense of humour has made her increasingly popular as a content creator, and this infectious energy is something she translates into her songwriting – her lyrics are often written in a conversational manner and with an undeniable integrity, making them nothing short of relatable on a widespread and inherently human level. McCarthy concludes her confessional bridge in the song (in which she describes her awkward and obsessive try-hard approach to making conversation) by admitting that, when approached by a girl and asked her name, her nerves got the better of her: she couldn’t remember it. Aside from its comedic value, this only serves to highlight just how familiar McCarthy’s lyrics are – most of us can identify with the feeling of shooting our shot, only for it to dramatically miss, ricochet off every wall and come right back at us in a humiliating gut punch. We’ve all had at least on of those moments, and clearly McCarthy is no different.

While three of the five songs to be featured on the upcoming EP have already been released, McCarthy has teased the remaining two on her TikTok account. If what we have seen from her so far is anything to go by though, there is plenty cause for excitement come release day on 14 February.