20-year-old multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Tessa Dalton returns with her second single of the year, “Dark & Pretty.” A simple but clean ballad, the track combines guitar and strings to create a lush lo-fi bedroom pop sound accentuated by Dalton’s pining vocals.
Dalton is attending Belmont University in Nashville where she is studying commercial fiddle, the instrument she is primarily known for. Challenging herself as a singer-songwriter, she has slowly but steadily been releasing singles for the past couple of years. Inspired by a late night drive to see Christmas lights, the lyrics of “Dark & Pretty” reflect on the nature of opposites: light and darkness, beauty and pain. On the new track Dalton adds,
“Late-night drives, dimly lit rooms, and the weight of choices that feel impossible to escape. The hook—’You’re so dark, you’re so pretty’—echos the frustration and allure of something beautiful yet destructive.”
“Dark & Pretty” clearly takes influence from current pop stars boasting acoustic music such as Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams and will be enjoyed by fans of that sound. Keeping things simple in composition and accompaniment is a strength of the new track which turns out very polished and realized.
Stream “Dark & Pretty” below.
Follow Tessa Dalton: Instagram // Youtube // Spotify // Soundcloud // Website
