People who have seen Nieve Ella on her ‘Lifetime of Wanting Tour’ in April or the festivals she performed at after have already had the pleasure to hear her new song ‘Sugarcoated’. After teasing the song for some time, it was finally released on the 20th of June. Nieve Ella has been known to have the ability to create a truly individual genre, so let’s see what ‘Sugarcoated’ has to offer!
Guitars always have a big presence in Nieve Ella’s songs, not unlogical since she plays the instrument herself. The start of ‘Sugarcoated’ is surprising though, with rougher guitars than we are used to from her other songs. It feels as if this song is reaching more towards a rock sound, but when the lyrics start, Nieve’s sound is immediately recognisable. The instrumentals between the first chorus and the next verse remind us of her song ‘Car Park’.
The lyrics discuss a feeling of wanting to hide and feeling lonely when there are so many people around you, and trying to act as if you are okay (“I sugar-coat it”). Perhaps it is about rising to fame and having to get used to everyone wanting something from you. As mentioned before, the sound is very true to Nieve Ella, a fine line between indie pop and rock and very easy to listen to. Her sound is one that could be the soundtrack of a coming of age movie or a theme song of a summer trip with friends. Her lyrics are often about (past) relationships or friendships.
Written by: Marloes Joosen
Edited by: Molly Day
