Meet ivri, the Soft-Spoken Indie Artist Worming Her Way Into Our Brains and Hearts


Photo: Benjamin O

Glitchy and deeply melancholic, New York City’s ivri dizzies with feeling on the guitar-driven love song “brainrot,“ the first track to drop off her upcoming debut EP.

With her 2020 hit “glow worms” garnering over 13 million streams on Spotify alone, ivri has been frequenting Spotify playlists like "Lorem" and “Indie Frequency,” as one of indie music's most promising artists on the rise. With a tiny voice, head full of curls, and infatuation for the unseeable, ivri has built herself from SoundCloud uploads to a global impact at only 21.

“brainrot” speaks to being consumed by the micro details of someone or her very own core. “I feel it in my veins / My heart is rushing,” ivri is willingly intoxicated, drained by the fangs of a parasitic partner. It’s come to be obvious that if she was going to make a love song, it would only be about the flesh-eating kind.

“‘brainrot’ is a play on a word I learned about called ‘heartrot’; when a tree ends up rotting from the inside out," shares ivri. "This song is me personifying that feeling of not knowing what to do when negative feelings take over, whether they root from a romantic aspect or a more personal one.”

Soundtracking solemn nights and the haunting of our own looming shadow, ivri is a champion for the lonely and wistful. Using reversed vocals and hypnotizing melodies, ivri has the ability to make decay alluring, feeding anticipation for what her debut project may bring.

Watch the "brainrot" visualizer below:


Related Articles

Pool Girl Releases Her Coastal Coming-of-Age Debut Album 'Melancholic Beach Town'

Pool Girl Releases Her Coastal Coming-of-Age Debut Album 'Melancholic Beach Town'

September 18, 2026 Across its songs, the record builds a world of hometowns, self-discovery and quiet departures, creating an album that is grounded in its emotional landscape while shining through its sun-soaked musicality.
Author: Alysa Benson
Meet Niño Gutiérre, Reimagining Folk Traditions of Northern Uruguay [OTWorldWatch]

Meet Niño Gutiérre, Reimagining Folk Traditions of Northern Uruguay [OTWorldWatch]

September 16, 2026 Niño Gutiérre is the musical project of Uruguayan singer-songwriter Agustín Rodríguez, born in Tacuarembó and currently based in Montevideo.
Author: DJ Connor
Leaning Into the Mess: First Reserve’s Sound is Forever Evolving

Leaning Into the Mess: First Reserve’s Sound is Forever Evolving

September 14, 2026 Ryan shares that their music is a ‘bit of a mess’ genre-wise, but that’s exactly the way they like it
Author: Caitlyn Sinclair