At the very least, Colleen Green is relatable. At best, her pop songs are overly accurate depictions of our everyday life.
While her first two releases were more or less home recordings, Green adds a full band sound to I Want to Grow Up and the results are better and fuller for it. Green still deals with adulthood like a grown-up child but the outside help does wonders for her. (It doesn't hurt that it's one member of Jeff The Brotherhood and one from Diarrhea Planet).
The grand theme on I Want to Grow Up is, you guessed it, that Green wants to be more of an adult. We’re taught that by 30 life should be figured out. Instead she, like many people ages 15 and beyond, are confused and lazy and in debt, just trying to get by. The title track and “TV†are on-the-nose representations of how we all feel restricted to the societal norm.
Centerpieces “Things That Are Bad for Me (Part I)†and “(Part II)†are where the album really shines. “(Part I)†is an upbeat number about how and why Green should help herself, whether that be drinking less, avoiding an ex or being more positive. (Try to stop singing “Gotta stop doing things that are bad for me†next time you’re walking around with a hangover.) "(Part I)" leads right in to “(Part II)†— its grungier, sadder cousin. The two songs really shine a light on the duality of the album as a whole — the conflicting voices inside her head. Colleen Green's mind is one part pop-punk angel and another synth-pop devil.
Finale “Whatever I Want†is the album’s best, most positive track, incorporating both aspects of her personality. Here, Green accepts where she is, as we all end up doing. She’s still young and could be happier, but sometimes it’s okay that things aren't 100 percent figured out yet.
I Want to Grow Up is a huge step in the right direction for Green. While she may not admit it, she has greatly matured since the days of Milo Goes to Compton (still an excellent title). Green sounds both more comfortable yet still unsure in her own skin which seems to be exactly what she’s going for.