Whitney Whitney’s Single “Isabelle” Packs A Punch
Rising star Whitney Whitney is all for the dramatics. She’s unafraid to spill her guts out and point a finger at the source, which in this case, is her friend’s girlfriend, “Isabelle.” Last Friday, the LA-based singer-songwriter gathered all the red flags into an exciting, cheeky pop ode that pairs cascading, shiny guitars with biting lyricism that doesn’t hold back.
Growing up between Connecticut and Manhattan, Whitney proves multifaceted in her musical influences, inspiring her fearlessness in genre experimentation. She expertly weaves elements of her musical-theater upbringing into her pop-driven discography, with powerful, poignant vocal work that marks her as a seasoned artist so early in her career. While her debut EP 1.1 released earlier this year scratched the surface of what Whitney has to offer, “Isabelle” leans further into the dark and playful side we briefly saw in her first single, “Does The Narcissist Need A Kiss.”
“Isabelle, you’re ruining his life / And don’t you know it?” she sneers behind her back in the first line. The intimate fingerpicking dancing around her words almost feels as calculated as Isabelle’s motives—cunning and quick. Whitney is one to keep up, however, as she leads us into a punchy chorus that builds out a bigger outline of her adversary: “Tongue as sharp as the spikes on a cactus cuts like a knife / You’re not a good girl / No, you don’t deserve such a good guy.” Right out the gate, she pulls back any fluff and calls the situation out for what it is, following similar structural refrains throughout the entire track. While the premise centers around Isabelle’s cautionary tale, the singer sprinkles in quippy lines that indicate a daring songwriting style: “Oh, Isabelle, what kind of drug did you put in his cup?”
“I’m always looking for a more unconventional way to say the obvious. It’s a fun challenge for me,” she says in an interview with Ones To Watch. If this track serves as another slice of Whitney's artistry, the cherry on top is the nod to her classical roots, found in the buried, dramatic strings that shape the track into a grungy, cinematic soiree.
“Isabelle” is unapologetically authentic, proving that the emerging star is going by her own rules. There’s a tangibility to the emotions she pens, a striking quality in a young artist that makes for thrilling longevity. The new leaf for Whitney has only just begun as she indicates the start of 1.2, the second installment of what will become a full album. In the meantime, be sure to stream her new single, now available on all streaming platforms.
