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Photo:  Valeria Rios

It is hard not to envy the beginning of a journey, project, or story; all its promise is preserved, its secrets and possible disappointments hidden, a rope of words and images that you can pull yourself into without judgment. As Celine Del Carmen digitally appeared before this writer via Zoom, that envy only expanded intro intrigue as a young artist explained her art, her storytelling process, and how she tried to diffuse the emotional range of her young life into something both therapeutic to herself, but others as well.  

While Celine, originally a native of Miami ("can't believe I made it out of the 305"), did have a manufactured foray into music at a much younger age, "Purple" seems as good a place to start as any as it is the color of royalty, once valued for its difficulty to create in dye form, a process that took time (google Tyrian purple) but coveted for that very effort. For Celine, it was also the song she first wrote upon arriving in LA, a song written on friends' couches, grappling with "uncertainty" and "who I was." “Purple" is a song about Celine owning her voice, choices, and settling into the best version of herself.  

Set against a backdrop of odd pitch slides, a plunging guitar riff, and up front hi-hat drums, Celine delivers a speak then sing vibe that feels like a very melodic phone call back to her former self, a long voicemail of advanced feelings. The luscious lyrics and open production signal that much of Celine's talents are compatible with a large scope of pop fandom, but like all good royalty, we must wait on ceremony, and Celine's is worth the wait.

Listen to  "Purple" below: