FEEL OK - NICOLE ISSA [REVIEW]
For everyone who didn’t have a valentine on the fourteenth, Nicole Issa’s latest track Feel Ok is like a warm hug. The song is strung together by a star-studded team (Chelsea Warner on production and mixed by Tom Garnett) who perfectly complement the emotion of Issa’s songwriting. Touching on themes of post-breakup confusion and grief, the sophomore single glows with warmth and authenticity.
Feel Ok sees Issa move in a more dramatic direction, taking songwriting cues from artists such as Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers. The cathartic songwriting process - ‘I was so upset the day I walked into the studio that I cried for about 3 hours straight!’ gives the track an even helping of resentment and sentimentality without being overbearing. The singer does find closure, however, with the track’s gentle resolution a welcome end to Issa’s pain. The instrumental is seething with vulnerable string sections, acoustic guitars and healthy amounts of reverb.
Feel ok cover art (Image credit: Supplied by artist)
The track is another milestone in Issa’s career, with her debut single ‘Home’ having received acclaim from all corners of the industry. She insists that her craft is based on honesty - ‘I just want to write my truth and have people hear my story’, which has put Issa on the radar of listeners all over Sydney, from LifeWithoutAndy to TheSnaccPacc. Her recent interview with the latter was a thorough dive into the track’s journey from start to finish, with mentions of the all-female team behind the track and her own personal journey as an artist.
Issa is set to perform the single at her upcoming headline show with BLOOM on the twenty-fifth of February at the Lord Gladstone Hotel. The performance is set to be the artist’s first headline show, and if you’re still hurt from Valentine’s season, maybe you oughta be in that audience.
