Stopping us in our tracks and forcing us to close our eyes and listen, London-based singer-songwriter Emma Bradley releases her latest single ‘serotonin skies’.
Returning proudly as a now-independent artist and floating between alternative and dark pop with cinematic qualities, Bradley has allowed her style to change and evolve as she does so herself. But one thing we can expect from her music is that it will be beautiful and honest.
The single is a raw, lamenting story told with soft guitar, sweeping strings, and echoing vocals. Subtle soundscapes create a spacious base for Bradley to raise goosebumps on our arms with her stunningly harmonised voice. The poetic lyrics of “the serotonin skies are so quiet” give us flourish and imagery; she then follows with the open realness of “will you ever call me back? / Does it even cross your mind?” that makes this song so relatable. Emma explains that “the ‘serotonin sky’ is a metaphor for the inside of your head and how sometimes there are more ‘stars in the sky’ / happy feelings than other times.”
‘serotonin skies’ also sees Emma mourning the end of a relationship that helped recognise her queer experience.
When I was writing this song I thought a lot about queerness and how it is so isolating to be in the closet but how it is also very isolating if you have an experience that makes you realise your queerness and then have it come to an end abruptly.
It’s like seeing through the door and then somebody closing it again.”
Evocative, haunting, and atmospheric, Emma Bradley’s music is not a sound we will forget.
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