Earlier this year, experimental indie-pop singer-songwriter, SPELLLING, released her fourth album, ‘Portrait of My Heart’, an ethereal and introspective album which explores the artist’s personal relationship with intimacy using stunning instrumentals and exceptional vocals.

Now, the singer has collaborated with another well-established indie musician, Weyes Blood, who has a strong discography of experimental and reflective indie-rock and pop. For many fans, this is a dream collaboration.

SPELLLING does not shy away from taking on a character in her music, and ‘Destiny Arrives’ exemplifies this perfectly. It’s a journey of facing the challenges of fate and choosing to embrace every change life throws at you with resilience and determination (“The path has been never-ending and still / I wouldn't want to give it up, give it up / Wiser would fall”) and reminds the listener that life is “full of surprises” but not to “hesitate”.

SPELLLING excels as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, creating a sound which is both nostalgic and futuristic, powered by 80s-style synths and drums but remaining distinctively modern in style.

Weyes Blood’s contribution to the track certainly elevates it from the original, throwing the listener into the deep end with an opening of ethereal, resounding “destiny arrives” alongside a sequence of string chords which build before cutting into the opening verse. Just when you might think the track is coming to a close, Blood comes in with a gorgeous, final segment (“I waited so long to find…”) and the layers build back up for the final chorus, where the track peaks as the artists sing in response to each other.

Both have incredible voices which, when combined, feel dreamy and fantastical. It’s easy to imagine the track being sung on stage, and it has a musical theatre, cinematic feel to it in the way both singers belt “destiny arrives”. 

Emily Sanderson

@emily.vs_

Image: Neelam Khan Vela