Inés Rae is alt-pop’s “New Girl”

Born from years of penning songs in her bedroom, London-based alt-pop starlet in the making, Inés Rae, has artistically and methodically taken her time with her first official single, and it truly shows with the understated, yet instantly addictive cut, “New Girl.”

New girl, she may be, but amateur she is not, as the years that led up to this moment have formed a distinctly unique presence that whilst touches on iconic pop sounds, has formed her own niche that balances an affable familiarity with a crisp freshness.

As the opening textures dissolve into a softly pulsing synth, her vocal intonation recalls the vulnerable refrain of pop trailblazer Ellie Goulding, tinted with a tender sense of warmth that perpetuates the summery hue of the track. Steadfast in its dynamics, the verse captures your attention by holding back on the instrumentational intricacies and letting her emotion-laden cadence and delicate delivery shine for what it is; nothing short of enchanting. Subverting the typical pop formula of a huge sounding, stadium-ready chorus, it maintains its softly simmering dynamics but doesn’t hold back on the hook; one iteration and your head is nodding to the beat, by the second you’re humming along and the third leaves it firmly planted in your brain, pleasantly rattling around until you hear it again.

“This is my first ever release!! I’m so excited to see how people will react to my music, it feels like it’s been a long time coming because I’ve been writing and recording songs for just over four years now,” she eagerly shares in an email statement. “I loved writing ‘New Girl’, coming up with lyrics and melodies in the studio with an incredible team was the funnest thing ever,” she continues, alluding to Bastille’s Matt Wills and Woody who helped produce the track. “I hope people love it as much as I do, I like to think it’s catchy, relatable and after all I am the New Girl 🙂 (but I won’t steal your man lol).”

“New Girl” is available now via Life is Beautiful.