I came across “Bad Dreams” by Katie Belle the other day, and I haven’t really stopped listening since. It opens with this hazy, synth-heavy sound that pulls you into this kind of late-night, restless mood. But it doesn’t feel overdone. It’s not trying to impress you. It just lives in its own space, like a track that understands what it’s like to be stuck in your head at 3 a.m.
Katie’s voice has this really natural rasp, like she’s not pushing anything, just letting it out how it wants to come out. There’s something honest about that. The lyrics hit especially hard if you’ve ever dealt with insomnia or anxiety. There’s a line where you can hear her kind of spiraling, but the beat underneath keeps you moving, like she’s giving you a little space to dance through it. Not in a fake way. More like, “I’ve got you”. It’s comforting without being soft.
The coolest part is that the production doesn’t get in the way. It’s solid, but it lets the message lead. You can move with it, or you can sit still and really listen. Either way, it works. It’s like Katie found this way to turn a really personal struggle into something that lets other people breathe a little easier too.
This is one of the singles from her upcoming EP “People Pleaser”, and if it’s setting the tone for what’s to come, I’m definitely paying attention. Katie’s clearly writing from experience, but not in a way that feels heavy. More like she’s saying, “You’re not alone, and here’s three and a half minutes to prove it.”
Go follow Katie Belle on Spotify and check her out on Instagram and the rest of her links if you want to stay in the loop. She’s definitely got more coming, and it’s worth sticking around for.
