P&P Spotlight: Bella Kay
Bella Kay isn’t afraid to tell her story exactly like it is. Throughout her music career, which began approximately a year ago, she’s been giving us an unfiltered glimpse into her mind with every release. The VMA-nominated artist doesn’t pretend that our late teens and early 20s are glamorous and picture-perfect. She’s here to share some important lessons she’s learned through personal experience - healing isn’t linear, heartbreak can be messy, and mistakes are inevitable.
She first gained notoriety with “iloveitiloveitiloveit,” which earned an AMA nomination, broke into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, and inspired several TikTok trends due to its highly relatable lyrics. While this song served as many listeners’ first impression of her, Bella’s tongue-in-cheek songwriting and unapologetic vulnerability has earned her a loyal army of fans, which has only grown over the past few months.
YOU'LL LOVE BELLA KAY IF YOU LISTEN TO: Gracie Abrams, Lizzy McAlpine, Maisie Peters, Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, Billie Eilish
Her first full-length album My Reckless Abandon touches on it all - including body image, family, unrequited crushes, self-destructive habits, and much more. The narrative of “iloveitiloveitiloveit,” which portrays the temptation to fall back into toxic patterns with someone, also connects to tracks like “Say It Say,” where she addresses a partner giving her the cold shoulder, as well as the slow and contemplative “mindf*ck.” Elsewhere, she confronts the hesitation and nerves of confessing to a crush in “Promise?” and “Blur,” and adopts a more sultry, R&B-influenced sound in “tongue.” "sleep for dinner" offers commentary on society's unrealistic standards for women, and "A Father's Lament" shares how her bloodline and racial identity impacted her upbringing.
The Reckless tour, of which Playlists & Polaroids attended the last two shows in Los Angeles, breathed new life into the diary-like qualities of the album. Before Bella took the stage, the curtain fell as “Hotline Bling” by Drake played, and fans had a couple minutes to digest the details in the stage setup. It contained a bright blue color scheme, guitar stand, faux fur stool, disco ball, red couch, and posters taped to the wall. One poster read “Like A Dog," referencing an unreleased track that she debuted at both LA tour dates.
This layout, which resembled a teenage girl's bedroom, served as the audience's first clue that they'd be let in on Bella's most intimate thoughts, recounted transparently through song. Additionally, it carried the stripped-back essence of a mid-2010s YouTube video, recorded in an aspiring singer’s room, of an acoustic cover or original song. Often breaking the fourth wall, Bella kept it real as she cultivated a safe, judgement-free space and showed fans her take on girlhood.
All photos in the gallery above taken by Karly Ramnani.
By closing night of the Reckless tour, she was greeted with loud cheers and handmade signs with sweet messages. Some concertgoers had traveled long distances - Bella shouted out a fan who drove from Phoenix, AZ, and we noticed two girls who had flown from Denmark.
They sang every lyric of not just Bella’s discography, but also her moving rendition of Lizzy McAlpine's "ceilings" during the set and the numerous Gracie Abrams hits in the preshow playlist. Bella is now experiencing the breakout moment that her greatest influences did a few years ago, and she never shies away from highlighting the pop girls who have paved the way for her.
Looking ahead, Bella will take the Reckless tour to Europe. This leg kicks off next February in Dublin, Ireland. In the coming months, she’s also opening for Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams, as well as performing at Jingle Ball and Coachella - so if you’re going to any of these concerts, now’s a perfect time to start learning her lyrics! Here’s a playlist to help you get started.
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