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Photo by Samantha Monendo

Beloved dark pop princess Isabel LaRosa has released her highly anticipated new single, “Hallucination,” as the lead single for her upcoming EP, Promising Young Woman. With this new project, LaRosa evolves into an almost ghostly aesthetic while channeling new gothic rock sounds, showing her capability to grow as an artist in both audio and visual identity. 

Production-wise, “Hallucination” takes on a slightly new sound for LaRosa. She begins the song with her signature breathy vocals, while echoes of her voice permeate the moments before the verse starts. The lower harmonies and vocal doubling do well to accentuate the song’s haunting qualities, while the simple bassline keeps the song feeling grounded. However, it’s the gritty guitars in the post-chorus and fully belted bridge that truly make this song a bold step forward in LaRosa’s career. The guitars completely contrast the higher countermelody in the post-chorus, creating yet another hook to reel listeners in while drawing from rock and punk sonic inspirations. In the bridge, LaRosa’s most confessional lyrics are accompanied by her most impressive vocals yet. She belts “I don’t want someone new / It will always be you,” an unexpected but excellent addition to her usual breathy tone. 

With “Hallucination” taking strides into a new genre, LaRosa creates a massive moment that grows from a light, ethereal sound and culminates at the bridge, which expands on the same gritty rock tones from the pre-chorus. “Hallucination” is most definitely a huge step for her career and cements her as one of the most notable dark pop artists of this generation. Promising Young Woman releases on June 5th, and its lead single has certainly made us excited to hear it.

Listen to "Hallucination" below: