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Photo: SJ Spreng

Meet Sadye, a pop star putting vulnerability at the forefront while dancing through fear. Her new single “Pretty Traumatized” is a biting recollection of an experience not many people would feel inclined to write an upbeat pop anthem about, but thankfully Sadye is not concerned about appeasing the crowd.

The track is inspired by her real-life recovery from battling cancer. Embellished with '80s synths and an addictive beat, the lyrics tell a completely different story than their sonic home. The title itself, “Pretty Traumatized,” is a creative way of communicating the lingering pain Sadye lives with as an adult. With a teasing but quite serious tone, she sings of her emotional scars, “At least I’m pretty... I’m pretty traumatized.”

On what the song means to her, Sadye shares, “This song is at the root of my escapism approach to music. It's the first record I've written about everything I've been through medically and it helped me establish my superpower of creating these fantasies to save myself. It’s horror masked with humor. It’s the essence of me.” Living through such a harrowing experience, an artist might feel inclined to write a slow ballad to reflect the seriousness, but Sadye chose a different route to prove that traumatized girls still deserve to dance the night away.

Not only does “Pretty Traumatized” detail her real pain, but it also highlights the strength gained from the experience. The song itself is a testament to that strength, providing a release for the built-up anxiety that comes with a life of doctor’s offices and “anesthesia dreamin’.” The beautiful juxtaposition of the dark subject matter with the twinkling exhilaration of a great pop song is a monument to Sadye’s unique perspective and tongue-in-cheek songwriting abilities.

Watch the “Pretty Traumatized” lyric video below: