Taylor D Makes All the Right Moves on New EP Bad Decisions

By Chris Kennedy | Published 4th Oct, 2026

Taylor D

Ireland is presently booming with some of the most exciting and creative female artists in music, and Taylor D is quickly making sure her name is part of that conversation.

Known for her high-energy live shows and fearless songwriting, the young Irish artist has carved out a sound that brings together infectious pop hooks with gritty alternative rock guitars. Despite only recently turning 21, Taylor has already packed plenty into her career, including headline shows in Dublin and London, more than two million streams across her Spotify catalogue and four #1s on the iTunes Rock Chart.

Not bad going before you’ve even had time to get used to being 21.

Now, with the release of her latest EP, Bad Decisions, Taylor D sounds ready to push things even further.

A Darker Side of Taylor D

Taylor has been writing music since her early teens, but there’s a maturity to Bad Decisions that makes it feel like a genuine step forward.

Her debut EP, Fan Girl, released in 2023, proved to be an important moment in her development, helping introduce Taylor to a much wider audience on the Irish music scene. Three years later, she’s clearly not interested in simply repeating what worked the first time around.

Bad Decisions moves into darker and heavier territory, taking Taylor’s pop instincts and throwing them into a mix of indie rock, grunge and alternative influences.

The result is a collection of songs that feels bigger, bolder and considerably more confident.

There are still plenty of melodies designed to get stuck in your head, but this time they come surrounded by crunchy guitars, attitude and a sense that Taylor is increasingly comfortable saying exactly what she wants to say.

Obsession Sets the Tone

The EP arrives alongside focus track Obsession, and it’s a fitting introduction to this new chapter.

Built around Taylor’s guitar-driven sound and refreshingly direct approach to songwriting, Obsession explores what happens when attraction turns into fixation and someone begins taking up far more space in your head than they probably should.

It’s a subject perfectly suited to the heavier edge of Bad Decisions. Rather than dressing those emotions up, Taylor leans into their intensity.

There’s something satisfyingly immediate about it. The guitars have bite, the hooks remain firmly intact and Taylor’s vocal delivery gives the song the attitude it needs without sacrificing its vulnerability.

From Fake Illusion to Goodbye

Bad Decisions also brings together previous singles Fake Illusion, Survive and Goodbye, with Obsession taking centre stage as the EP’s focus track.

Together, the songs paint a picture of an artist becoming increasingly comfortable with the space between pop and rock.

That crossover is arguably where Taylor D is at her most interesting. She has the melodic instincts to write a big pop chorus, but there’s enough grit around the edges to stop the music feeling overly polished or predictable.

Across the EP, those alternative and grunge influences give her songwriting some extra weight. The guitars hit harder, the emotions feel closer to the surface and the whole project carries the energy of music that should translate particularly well to the stage.

Given Taylor’s growing reputation as a live performer, that feels important.

Turning 21 and Starting a New Chapter

There’s also some neat timing behind the release. Taylor turned 21 on the same day Bad Decisions arrived, making the EP something of a marker between where she has been and where she wants to go next.

Speaking about the record, Taylor explained:

This EP feels like the real beginning of who I am as an artist. Turning 21 and releasing it on the same day feels incredibly symbolic. I’ve grown so much since I started making music, and these songs reflect where I am now — more confident, more honest and completely unafraid to say what I mean. - Taylor D

Bad Decisions Cover Artwork — Bad Decisions

Final Verdict: Taylor D Finds Her Sound on Bad Decisions

Bad Decisions feels like an important step forward for Taylor D. It’s darker, heavier and more assured than what we’ve heard from her before, but crucially, she hasn’t lost the pop instincts that made her earlier material so immediate.

There’s still room for Taylor’s sound to evolve, and at just 21, you’d expect nothing less. But that’s part of what makes ‘Bad Decisions’ exciting. This feels less like an artist who has reached her destination and more like one who has finally figured out which road she wants to take.

If Fan Girl introduced us to Taylor D, Bad Decisions is where the young artist starts defining exactly who Taylor D is.