There's a particular strain of contemporary pop that treats emotional vulnerability with an unfiltered delicacy – a healing wash of melancholy that equally suggests depth and plumbs into it. On "It's Alright," the latest single from London-based newcomer Wellingta, we get another entry in this ever-growing catalog of pristinely produced heartbreak that somehow manages to maturely navigate the actual experience of loss. With artists like Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers redefining what emotional authenticity can sound like in pop music, Wellingta's approach feels carefully curated to expand on the honest penmanship that continues to shape our post-pandemic nuance of unbridled vulnerability.
The track opens with what's become a familiar playbook: minimal production, a whispery vocal delivery, and lyrics that gesture at profundity through their simplicity ("There's this feeling / A feeling I can't deny"). It's the sort of beginning that dances on the fringe of authenticity but instead plays it safe with its calculated nature of construction. As the song builds toward its chorus, Wellingta's voice takes on the requisite catch of emotion, though it feels more like an affect than an effect. This studied vulnerability brings to mind the recent wave of "sad girl" pop that's dominated streaming playlists, accentuated by the kind of sharp self-awareness that makes the best examples of that genre compelling.
The chorus – a repetitive mantra of "It's Alright" punctuated by the declaration that "goodbyes don't last babe" – aims for anthemic but lands somewhere between greeting card and therapy session. There's nothing inherently wrong with mining the territory of self-help pop, but the best examples of the genre (think Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" or SZA's "Good Days") offer specific details that ground their universal messages in lived experience. Wellingta instead deals in generalities, giving us a phone-checking protagonist whose emotional landscape feels assembled from other, better songs about heartbreak.
Listen To “It’s Alright” here:
The timing of this release corresponds with pop music's growing embrace of emotional storytelling. While artists like Caroline Polachek and Arlo Parks have carved out their own niches in this space, Wellingta offers her own interpretation of how vulnerability can sound in contemporary pop. "It's Alright" serves as an promising indication of her potential to develop her voice within the genre.
For listeners seeking polished pop with an emotional core, "It's Alright" delivers a compelling introduction to Wellingta's artistry. The track suggests an artist who is finding her footing in the contemporary pop landscape while laying the groundwork for future artistic growth.
Stream “It's Alright” here:
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