Songfacts®:

• Soccer Mommy (Sophie Allison) got sorta famous after releasing her second album, Color Theory, in 2020, and she didn't much care for it, preferring to be out of the public eye and go about her business without being recognized. In "Unholy Affliction" she struggles with the inherent conflict that comes from being a solo artist yet trying to stay at least partially hidden.
  
  "The whole idea is, I don't want to be a part of a system where I'm just an object that's functioning for the wants and needs of a bigger power - but I do want success and perfection," she told Rolling Stone. "It's that struggle between drive and morality."
• The song delves into a grimy, methodical space with textured instrumentals and unsettling vocals. The industrial vibe comes courtesy of Soccer Mommy's producer, Daniel Lopatin. He makes music on his own under the name Oneohtrix Point Never, but has also done production for the likes of The Weeknd and FKA twigs.
  
  "'Unholy' was really fun in the studio because the end result was totally different from what we expected," explains Allison. "Dan made this really cool sequence with the demo vocals that wound up becoming most of the song. It was nice to have two different versions of the song that kind of mashed together."
• This was released as a single ahead of Soccer Mommy's third album, Sometimes, Forever. As the title implies, a lot of it deals with contradiction and impermanence. Her real name is Sophie Allison; she grew up in Nashville but made her mark in New York City, where she was part of the DIY music scene centered on a small community venue called the Silent Barn. She enjoyed these times when she was just getting started and could focus on the music. As she earned acclaim, she had to also deal with promotion and marketing, which doesn't suit her at all.
• Soccer Mommy cites this song as one of her favorites from the album, in part because it defies the sound of the first single, "Shotgun," a spritely love song. "'Unholy Affliction' might be the one I'm most excited about, because I don't think anyone's expecting what's coming, especially after 'Shotgun,'" she told The Current.