Amplified Analysis: Grace Bland's 'She Kinda Looks Like Me'

By Emma Furrier


At just eighteen years old, Grace Bland has already established herself as a rising star in the English indie pop scene. Her 2019 debut single ‘Pity Parties’ was warmly received, and her follow up single ‘Human’ went on to be named Record of the Week by BBC Introducing Radio Solent, and earned her a spot on three Spotify editorial playlists - 'New Pop UK’, 'Fresh Finds: Pop’ and ‘Easy’ which boasts a following of over 380,000 listeners. Her much anticipated third single, ‘She Kinda Looks Like Me’ has just been released on November 6th, pivoting her into a darker side of pop she had yet to explore. 
 
Channeling sadcore and dream pop influences like Lana del Rey and Bea Miller, ‘She Kinda Looks Like Me’ finds Bland in a moody, atmospheric state filled with snappy synths and breezy reverb. The layering of her vocals in time with finger snapping leads up to the chorus, where the track falls into a catchy, earworm of a chorus. Bland’s vocals appear more finely tuned than in previous efforts, as she experiments with different notes and finds her groove in an R&B style cadence. The song’s tempo finds balance in between genres, establishing the darker, almost sultry mood of the song. The moody composition reflects the messaging behind the song’s storyline. Bland describes the song as “an exploration into jealousy using the fictional narrative of a disloyal partner” that, ironically, strikes quite a similar appearance to her. 
 
The song’s lyrics evoke a sense of distrust and paranoia, while her rich vocals coerce her listeners into a dreamlike state of satiation, just as her partner has by placating her on their drive. While in theory, the chorus of the song “You must know that/ she kinda looks like me/she kinda looks like me” could be convoluted as desperation, don’t be fooled into thinking Bland is the powerless one here. The dominance in her vocals alone exudes strong emotion and impetus that sways her audience into her own narrative. 
 
‘She Kinda Looks Like Me’ is a promising release that combines Bland’s indie-pop style with a darker, electro-pop ambiance to produce an enticing and atmospheric new track from this rising young artist. Appearances aside, Grace Bland has announced herself as the one and only, and she sure is a voice to be heard.

If you'd like to find out more about Grace Bland or keep up to date with her latest news and releases, the links to all her social medias are available below via the icons or her website here