Kelley Cole bares it all in new coming-of-age single "Twenty Five"

April 12, 2024

Cover Art for “Twenty Five” by Kelley Cole - Photo by Nate Bradley

Tennessee-based indie artist, Kelley Cole, has embarked on a new musical era—taking a stark departure from the rest of her discography. In her latest single, “Twenty Five”, Cole boldly admits to the unkind troubles plaguing her young adulthood.

Around this time last year, the self-produced singer/songwriter hit a breaking point when the IRS so rudely demanded she drain her bank account to pay them. Frustrated and at her wit’s end, Cole resorted to her favorite cheap alternative to therapy, taking to her bedroom floor with a guitar, notepad, and colored pencils to pour her heart out.

Set against a warm backdrop of acoustic sweetness, and sprinkled with a shimmering toy piano, Cole’s beautiful yet emotional voice plays the star role in this number. She lays bare her longing for the past while dealing with the growing pains of a future that came too soon. Painfully relatable lines such as “I’ll light up my bills like they’re birthday candles “ and “I’m losing my friends like they’re my last hair tie" describe feelings every 20-something knows all too well.

Adhering to this theme in the music video, Cole taps into a kid-like playfulness: jumping on trampolines, flying on a suspended harness, and playing guitar in a ball pit. An ode to girlhood, she perfectly conveys her urge to “daydream until I can’t remember” as an escape from the complexities of being twenty five. But, just as in real life, the video concludes with Cole, back in her car, returning to face the harsh reality in front of her. Raw and at times a bit too real, this song accomplishes an authentic depiction of the coming-of-age experience. While not exactly a happy song, listeners who identify with Cole’s trials and tribulations will find solace in being able to scream along to her piercing lyrics and know they’re not alone.

Twenty Five is out now, and marks the first release in Cole’s upcoming debut EP, “When Will I Feel Alright”.