‘Debbie Harry’ teeters into sad-girl pop that brings to mind the delicate vocal musings of Clairo and poppy soundscapes of Limbo. Recorded in Olivia and Marcus’ (aka ‘Shtum’) home studio, the cut started on an acoustic guitar before being transformed by Marcus into the preppy number that it eventually culminated as.

Taken from her upcoming EP, set to be released late September, ‘Debbie Harry’ sets itself apart from the rest of the project. The most personal and introspective offering, the track finds itself rooted in deep reflections of failed relationships, alcoholism, and romanticising a past self. The almost-bleak musings of ‘Debbie Harry’ finds themselves in a direct juxtaposition to the upbeat, bedroom-pop stylings lent by Marcus as Olivia laments “I’m a glass half empty, glass half full”.

At just over three minutes long, boasting an infectious energy and teeming with cleverly written, playful lyrics, ‘Debbie Harry’ stands as one of Olivia’s most developed and impressive releases to date. Sardonic wit isn’t lost on this track, and this Manchester-based artist pulls it off sublimely.

“I wrote ‘Debbie Harry’ when I was getting nostalgic about times in my life. Back when I used to be floor staff in a bar and people would call me Debbie Harry every shift because of my blonde hair and red lippy. I was thinking of how my life, represented by the media, would appear if I was famous enough that paparazzi would follow me. Whilst looking through my old photos I thought, ‘I’m glad only I can see some of these’ and thought about how it’d look coming out in newspapers with the villainization of recklessness presented by misogynistic newspaper headlines in the past; which is also why I thought it important to mention Lily Allen in this tune, as I empathised with how she was presented in her early career.”

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