Despite releasing her first single in 2012 and a steady rise to fame, York-born and London-based singer-songwriter Beth McCarthy has long been slept on by many within the male-dominated music industry. Facing the challenge of escaping the confines of genre without dividing fans, an obstacle many artists struggle with, McCarthy's discography has been on a trajectory toward a rockier edge for a while, most notably with her 2025 request to 'Treat Me Like A Rockstar'. Now taking matters into her own hands, 'Pretty Villain' is an unignorable redefinition of her image that remains recognisable enough for McCarthy's loyal audience, yet captures new attention, as proven by the reaction to the track's premiere at Reading & Leeds Festival last weekend. 

'Pretty Villain' is an anthem for the anti-heroines, dripping with a seductive intensity that even Cruella would be scared of: "I eat dogs for dinner". McCarthy is controlling the narrative, taking others' accusations and using them to build a character any DC Comics fans risk falling in love with: "Paint me as the bad guy / Best believe I'm going to pose". Coincidentally, the minimalist bass line that drives the single is not dissimilar to Billie Eilish's 2019 hit. McCarthy's breathy, multi-layered vocals place her front and centre of the track, closing with an evil laugh bringing an ominous sense of what is to come. 

References to famous villains are scattered throughout the single, as McCarthy places herself in the company of Harley Quinn, Cruella and the actor behind many famous femmes fatales, Sharon Stone. Those haunting the singer-songwriter in the 2025 single 'Exes In Bedsheets' risk a fright themselves; as if the music video teaser suggests anything, the 'Pretty Villain' carries far more threat to those who have wronged her than they could suspect.

Given the scale of the 'Pretty Villain' campaign, albeit a short one, seeing McCarthy wiping her socials in a fashion that has become ever more popular with artists today, it seems fans are being introduced to a wider villainous storyline. The evil side that feels worlds away from breakout hit 'She Gets The Flowers', melds McCarthy's trademark playful lyricism with a darker soundscape that unlocks one of her strongest works to date.

Maisy Neale
@maisycreative
Image: 'Pretty Villain' Official Press Photo

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