
Estella Dawn bares her soul on her newest single, “Drunk & Messy” — a slow-burning, emotional confession that feels like a midnight phone call you shouldn’t make but can’t resist.
The track finds Dawn tangled in longing for a love she knows is toxic but unforgettable. With vulnerable, biting lyrics and powerhouse vocals, she paints the portrait of someone torn between self-awareness and desire — knowing better, but still wanting one more night. It’s the kind of late-night heartbreak anthem that would feel right at home on playlists like Sad Girl Starter Pack, Pop Rising, Chill Pop, and Heartbreak Pop.
Her voice shifts between softness and intensity, echoing the duality of the relationship she describes — intoxicating yet damaging, tender yet bruised. “Drunk & Messy” captures the messy aftermath of love’s withdrawal: that space between letting go and wanting to fall again.
At one point, Dawn delivers one of the song’s most vulnerable lines, confessing that she wants to “lose [herself] in [her ex-partner] / until [she forgets herself].” It’s a lyric that perfectly encapsulates the song’s emotional tug-of-war — surrendering to the very thing you know will hurt you.
Originally from New Zealand and now based in San Diego, Estella Dawn is more than a singer-songwriter — she’s also a producer and multi-instrumentalist, shaping every layer of her sound with precision and heart. Blending elements of pop, rock, and soul, she’s crafted a growing discography that includes standout tracks like “514 Denim,” “Julian,” and stunning covers of The 1975’s “Somebody Else” and Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black.”
With “Drunk & Messy,” Estella Dawn cements herself as one of pop’s most emotionally honest new voices — the kind of artist who turns heartbreak into something cinematic and timeless.
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Look out for Silence by Devin Kennedy. Fans of Khalid will enjoy and others who love R&B, hip hop, and and pop-soul.
The Los Angeles based songwriter and producer released the previous single “Hurt U” which landed on Spotify‘s soda, Chill Pop and Fresh Finds, Apple Music’s Relationship Goals and New In Pop and Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Pop and Brand New Music.
“What I really enjoy about ‘Silence’ is that we were able to combine my usual sunny, west-coast vibe, with faster vocal melodies and some hard-hitting drums” shares Devin.
Devin co-wrote Ben Platt’s single “Everything I Did to Get to You” with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder and produced Jake Miller’s “Jumpin”, and EBEN’s “Ghost Town”.
I’m liking Don’t Sleep With My Ex by Cy, the solo project by Swedish songwriter Amanda Cygnaeus. It would fit nicely on Apple’s The Breakup Playlist. Traveling between LA, London and Stockholm, she has worked with artist like LÉON, Iggy Azalea, Paloma Faith, and Icona Pop.
Her new release is about a breakup and it was written by Cy, along with Richard Zastenker and
Johannes Klahr who received a 2020 Grammy nomination for Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’.
“I was a ticking bomb when I came to the studio that day and all of my anger and confusion just exploded into this song. It’s not about me hating on someone’s relationship, but rather
about feeling betrayed by a close friend” shares Cy. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders Playlist.
Elsa Barahhona releases the track Enseñame. Think Ariana Grande, Ava Max and Bebe Rexha. The song blends EDM, pop, and r&b. Produced by popular UK producer Kiz Keyz, the 17 year old delivers a solid vocal. Elsa says,‘Enseñame’ is firstly a story of love. Forged with urban dance sounds and a Spanish twist for the world to enjoy as one, we wanted infectious beats, danceable motion and a hypnotic dance track with a Latin fire burning beneath it.” Give it a stream.
I’m liking the melodic-dancey track Opening Up by CRUISR. Think 1975 meets Two Door Cinema Club. The band tells Kings, “Opening Up is a song about our relationship with love. In our youth we usually embrace our first loves, unknowingly exposing ourselves to harm. As we grow wiser, many people try to control or avoid love, for the sake of self-preservation. By doing this, we end up missing out on so much joy, because we fear the pain that comes with it. Opening Up asks the listener to let go and reacquaint themselves with unrestricted love. Opening Up was directly inspired by Kahlil Gibran’s poem, ‘On Love’.”
In fact, the band’s track All Over has just clocked over 10 million Spotify streams which came off their sophomore EP released on Vagrant Records. Moreover, the band toured with The 1975, Imagine Dragons, and PVRIS. Give it a listen.
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