Los Angeles-based, Pennsylvania-born singer-songwriter Catie Turner picks apart identity and external validation on ‘Who Am I?’, the final single ahead of debut album Blue Alchemy, out October 16. “When selfhood and the performance of self become a form of capital, you’re left asking yourself: who am I?” she explains.
Bright acoustic strumming opens the track before light drums and guitar gradually fill out its breezy indie-pop sound. Yet Turner’s vocal introduces anxiety beneath the sunshine, particularly as the endlessly repeated “Who am I?” turns a catchy chorus into a genuine existential question. That overthinking spills over completely during the bridge, abandoning rhyme for a breathless stream of consciousness as her thoughts tumble out seemingly unchecked.
The retro-styled video brings that identity crisis to life inside a colourful 70s-meets-early-00s room, where Turner plays with dolls, changes outfits and performs alongside an animated version of herself, becoming increasingly frustrated as she cycles through different personas. It’s playful and deliberately nostalgic, but underneath the bright colours and infectious melody sits a much messier question. ‘Who Am I?’ doesn’t pretend to find the answer — and is more interesting for leaving it unresolved.
