Artist: Best Ex
Song: “Good Girl”
Album: Good Girl (November 6, 2026)
Label: Iodine Recordings
Genre: Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Alternative
Following her time touring with pop-punk band Candy Hearts, playing with groups like New Found Glory and Weezer, and taking the stage at Vans Warped Tour, singer/songwriter Mariel Loveland decided to change things up with her solo project. She moved away from bouncy power chords and pumped-up drums, and transitioned towards dreamier sonics and fuzzier synths for the project she dubbed Best Ex.
And just recently, Loveland dropped the solo efforts great new single “Good Girl.” The title track from her upcoming sophomore record (due out November 6th), the song is a “emotionally charged pushback against the idea that women are defined by who they belong to—someone’s daughter, wife, mother, etc.—rather than simply being themselves.”
There’s a feeling of “loss of innocence” right in the opening line as Loveland sings “I want my childhood back,” and goes into the struggles of adulthood with “Constantly spinning out, paralyzed by my doubts.” Sung over repetitive, mid-tempo beat, things spring to life with a jangly sheen on the chorus, as Loveland pines “I tried to be a good girl, when no one was watching.” And while there’s an angelic, effervescent quality to the track, one can still hear elements of Loveland’s pop-punk past on the bridge as the guitars kick up.
Check out the tune in our Check This 2026 Playlist!
The Indy Review 