Following the release of the Australian indie star’s EP album What Makes a Girl in early December of 2025, Esha Tewari released the deluxe two months later on February 13, 2026, titled What Makes a Girl a Girl.
The album consists of six songs, two more added on from the EP. This album goes over the stereotypical expectations of girls, featuring themes of losing the innocence of girlhood and the complexities of relationships—everything that makes a girl a girl.
Muse
Tewari starts the album with a softer, mellifluous song called “Muse.” With soft vocals and nimble guitar strumming, Tewari delivers a song of pure heartache, reflection, and longing. The song is about a deep connection and the speaker’s fear of losing it. The verse “Is it too late to just be friends?” expresses the speaker’s fear of change in their relationship, trying to maintain one while not losing it at the same time. I believe this song deserves a 4/5 stars because it’s a soothing, relatable song that can be both screamed and sobbed along with (possible at the same time). It sheds light on a difficult matter—the clash between your heart and mind, deciding who is wrong and who is wrong. Overall, it’s an intimate, soul-crushing track…but in the warm, comforting type of way.
In Twos
Possibly one of the most popular on the album, “In Twos” is one of my favorite tracks for varying reasons. This song specifically recalls the truth that one-sided relationships don’t thrive, stating that “love only works in twos.” She goes over the complexities of love, riddled with loyalty, honesty, and complete truth. “We lie but it’s no use,” Tewari sings, meaning to say that, without honesty, one cannot truly benefit in a relationship. As the song continues, it quickly catches speed to form a catchy, almost upbeat song. As a person who enjoys simpler, shorter songs over lengthy lyrics, more-complex songs, I rate this song a 4.5/5 and can easily place it as #1 on the album.
About Me
Following its predecessor, “About Me” also has a quicker rhythm, with soft and meaningful lyrics. “I truly hope you win the war you keep a secret/I’m done guessing what it’s for, what, is it about me?” This song, along with “In Twos” also covers the complexities of relationships, incorporating struggles of clarity in relationships and the true meaning behind the relationship itself. The singer anxiously questions herself about the true reason on why they’re in said relationship, singing, “I truly hope you win the war you keep a secret/I’m done guessing what it’s for, what, is it about me?” I interpret the “war” the singer mentions their partner fighting in as the questions they are battling with about their relationship, which can lead to distance in a relationship if not discussed with their partner. I’d rate this song a solid 3.5/5, respecting the fact that she covered a difficult subject—miscommunication—though not quite being one of my favorites.
The Winner
“The Winner” in particular especially emphasizes the idea of “bedroom pop,” the recently trending sub-genre mix of lo-fi and pop music that sounds like the artists created their songs in their bedroom. They usually incorporate vulnerable, carefully written lyrics recorded in poor conditions that nurture a certain type of feeling, as if they are singing the song to you right where you are. This song is a perfect example of that, with Tewari’s raw, almost whisper-like voice and emotional lyrics that grip at the heart. This song is about being used in a relationship, touching on themes of lust over love and heartbreak. Crying out, “But I am not a girl/I am not your angel,” the narrator feels that they’re no longer perceived as a person to their partner, but only a momentarily physical craving; a concept. This song is easily a 5/5 for me which, I know, is rare. However, it is also rare that a singer can cause such an evocative feeling inside my chest, one of aching and defeat—the true qualities of a human experience.
Cars and Gasoline
Being the fifth track on the album, “Cars and Gasoline” follows the same feel as the other songs on the EP, with a muted tone and soft strumming. This song focuses on “settling” in a relationship, the act of sacrificing your core values in fear of ending up alone, and the emotional outcomes it evokes. “I push back what I want gone,” Tewari sings, putting her partner’s needs above her own, even if it costs her morals to be in jeopardy. She also references the Greek legend of Achilles’ heel near the end of the song, singing, “You are my Achille’s heel.” In the legend, Achilles’ mother, Thetis, lowered infant Achilles in the River Styx in order to offer him immortality. However, by holding him by his heel, immortality is never granted, and the heel becomes Achilles’ main weakness. In Esha’s song, her partner is her weakness, the one thing that’s holding her overall wellness from flourishing. As a fan of Greek mythology and all things literature-based, I give this song a 3.5/5.
Where Our Streets Met
This song follows the story of a childhood friendship and the distance gained between it as the years pass. It touches on themes of longing, ache, and nostalgia, as the narrator reminisces on the “good times,” and yearns to have the same relationship with their friend as they used to, and possibly more. “You used to ask me to stay/Now you just look away,” the narrator explains, describing just how divided their relationship has become. This song hits a sensitive chord for me, especially when singing about mourning the loss of an old friendship, and tops my chart with a rating of 4/5.
