The track is her first solo single since the release of her 2021 debut album Joi
Her engrossing and relatable brand of thoughtful neo-soul have seen Brooklyn based artist Kristen Merritt establishing herself someone who’s sound is swimming in personality and charisma, both through the character-filled nature of her vocals and the intoxicating allure of her impressive soundscapes.
The artist’s new single ‘ISFTBS’ is her first solo release in three years, following on from her 2021 debut album Joi, and finds the artist in inspired and memorable form. The refreshingly candid nature of her lyrics and warm and catchy nature of her sound makes for a track that is easy to find yourself lost in, conveying a sense of exasperation and anger that feels authentic and real while never sacrificing the immersively charming and upbeat nature of her sound. The track is a masterclass in expressing your feelings in a way that raw and powerful while holding onto your unique allure as an artist, and makes for a impactful return from an exciting and revered talent.
“I wrote this song in the summer of 2023 as a writing exercise where you take a few words and try to craft a narrative around them. I had already recorded the intro soundbite years earlier – just as a little melody that popped into my head with most likely a situation at the time that prompted the lyrics,” shares Kristen Merritt. “With this soundbite, the writing exercise, and a new desire to experiment with sound after taking a music course led by Kimbra, ‘ISFTBS’ spilled out of me in a way like no other song had. While I consider myself vulnerable in songs in the way of love, I have never in life or music written something that was so decidedly blunt and angry. Especially not with the chosen words of the intro. It’s part anger, part exasperation, all honesty.”
