The intimacy of her vocals hit me first when I heard Katie Belle’s “Cigarette” the first time. She was telling a story very personal and absolutely everyone understands. It was as though she was in the room with me. Katie is a Georgia-born artist whose music, with over three million streams on Spotify to date, has defined her place in the scene. ‘Cigarette’ is a sultry, emotionally charged pop gem, that proves her progression as an artist.
The ability of LA based producer Fabio Campedelli to skillfully meld the modern with the nostalgic is what makes the track open with a modern swishing production. Clearly their collaboration, due to 2022’s “Next Ex,” has grown up, producing a sound that jumps between decades but still stays new. Katie’s vocals form the heart of song, sensational and fragile and carrying an emotion that isn’t afraid to do a raw dance and drag you in to every note as if its a whispered confession.
Lyrically, “Cigarette” goes deep into the bittersweet memories in past romances that last even after the relationships no longer do. Here we see how wonderfully talented Katie is as a songwriter, she strives to write words that not only are beautiful to read, but also make sense! This is a story that many will relate to, it’s the quiet ache of what was.
Lukas Cuman’s splendid mixing and Sanjeeve Easwar’s beautiful mastering is polished but never obscures Katie’s voice. The way her vocals blend with the instrumentation is part of the immersive feeling that sticks. Recorded in Fabio Campedelli’s studio in Los Angeles, this single is a milestone in Katie’s ongoing journey, with promise for what’s to come in her upcoming EP, “People Pleaser.”
If you like indie pop or vibing to singer songwriter stuff, give “Cigarette” a shot. The journey Katie has put together is a certification of her growth, an ability not only to weave together a blend of captivating vocals, thoughtful lyrics and evocative production, but to create something that speaks beneath the surface. And with ‘Cigarette’, this is an artist on the rise and on her way to being one of the big names in the game.
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