Elijah Woods - Can We Talk? Review
by Jaz Wilkins | October 14th, 2025
Photo by Austin Calvello
Breakout pop artist Elijah Woods has finally unveiled his highly anticipated debut album, Can We Talk?, a collection of tracks that achieves the perfect balance of emotionally vulnerable, relatable lyrics and catchy indie-pop beats, reminiscent of the 80’s. With over 1 billion streams and a devoted global fanbase built through sold-out tours across Canada and Asia, Elijah has already proven his ability to connect with audiences through his heartfelt songwriting. On Can We Talk?, he channels that same energy into an eleven track journey that takes us inside of Elijah's head where we explore the deepest corners of his mind. In this review, we’ll be diving into my personal favorite tracks and discussing Elijah's lyrical and artistic choices for his debut.
So Good
The album opens with 'So Good', an upbeat indie-pop anthem that immediately sets the tone for the tracks to come. The song starts out with a muted synthesiser, slowly building up before the beat drops into the first verse of the song. The melody is catchy from the first listen with the lyrics diving into themes of love, likening it to addiction. The song itself feels upbeat, euphoric, and very reminiscent of the 80’s. It makes you feel as if you’re on an emotional high and falling in love for the first time, as heard with lyrics such as “Relapse, coming over to get some / I’m never getting enough” and “It’s so good / The moment you’re on my lips”.
Could You Love Me?
Followed up with ‘Could You Love Me?’, one of the album’s lead singles, we dive into a more mellow track that discusses the anxiety and overthinking that comes with receiving mixed feelings from someone you love. It takes a turn from the opening song, sounding like we’ve jumped forward in the timeline of the relationship. Going from feeling the high of a brand new relationship to feeling more insecure and unsure where he stands in the relationship. We can especially hear this in the first verse, with lyrics like “You say you love me when you’re acting like you don’t / Because you won't even try / No you won’t” and “Could you love me like you love yourself? / You set me up just to make me feel stupid / Is it all a joke, am I nothing to you?”.
Photo by Austin Calvello
Ghost On The Radio
A standout moment on the record, ‘Ghost On The Radio’ captures the ache of nostalgia and how memories of your past with someone can eat away at your mind. Its melancholic lyrics describe the beginning stages of coping with a breakup, with themes of bargaining and denial becoming more evident as the song progresses, it leads us to the assumption that this track takes place after the relationship discussed in the first two songs has ended. It discusses Elijah being in denial of his breakup, coping with it in ways that seem less than healthy. We hear Elijah trying to come to terms with his situation while still hearing the voice of his ex-partner speaking to him through radio static. With lyrics from “Was that you inside the static? / Under that guitar / Saying my name between the silence / Til’ I fall apart” to “What are you trying to tell me? / Everything you never said / I can't imagine this is healthy / But you got me leaning in”, it’s clear that the loss of the relationship holds a lot of bearing on his life.
Slicked Back Hair
Moving forward into the later tracks of the album, ‘Slicked Back Hair’ gives us a more upbeat, acoustic track that dives into themes of getting back out into the dating world after a breakup. Elijah talks briefly about his past of dating women, indicating how they generally go from one time lovers to becoming another unread and forgotten text message in his phone. He states “That was the old me / I’m so glad you didn’t know me” to this supposed new person hes talking to. The song feels similar to the opening track, only less euphoric sounding, but the feelings that come across sound more meaningful and sincere, but still blinded by infatuation. We can hear these themes heavily with the lyrics “And then you crash right in through an open door / And suddenly I’m having feelings I didn’t have before / And no, I didn’t see it coming, but I know where it’s going / Only God can judge me”.
Can We Talk? is an emotionally charged debut that perfectly captures Elijah Woods' signature blend of honesty and charm. Across its eleven tracks, Elijah takes listeners through the highs and lows of love, heartbreak, and personal reflection, showcasing his knack for turning his hardest moments in life into an infectiously catchy debut album that is bound to turn heads. Can We Talk? is a striking introduction to who Elijah is as both an artist and storyteller.
Can We Talk? Is out now on all streaming platforms!
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