From the beginning of Cielo's latest single, "Fairy Wings," there's a distinct, otherworldly essence. The sounds are synthetic, but the way they rumble and swoop through the mix feels organic to a mystical dimension. As the singer/songwriter sings exquisitely of personal liberation and freedom, she transforms the music into an ethereal dreamscape. The unique percussion, a densely-layered cascade of resonance and texture, plays the most significant role (outside of Cielo's vocal performance) in transforming the song from its more ambient verses into the breakout chorus. The synths swirl around like they're being carried by wind. The bass has a more dance-pop quality, energizing the chorus, while the higher pitched synths are soaked in reverb as though echoing from the distance. The result sounds stunningly organic for digital sounds, hazily blanketing the natural space of "Fairy Wings." This is what dreams are made of, but the woes of reality audibly reverberate through its daze.
"I wish I had a set of fairy wings," Cielo opens the song with. The lyric seems inconspicuous at first. On paper, it could be the saccharine wish of a young child, but the delivery belies any naïveté. No, the make-believe appendages represent more to Cielo than what they might have in youth. There's freedom, escape, and the visible manifestation of what is internal. "Ain't nobody else gonna see me how I see myself." There's a sense of isolation stemming from this dissonance between perception and feeling that manifests in her relationships. She strikingly documents the experience of being undervalued and taken for granted. "I wish you had some more devotion, / instead of going through the motions." Were Cielo to sprout shimmering wings, perhaps this person would value her time more. But she knows better than to waste her time waiting for others to see the value in her.
Also known as Annalia, Cielo is a pop singer/songwriter currently based in Nashville (originally from Los Angeles). Prior to the Cielo project, the artist has years of experience making music and finding success. Her raw pop music blends organic sounds and lyrical grit to produce impactful songs. "Fairy Wings" is the first single released under the Cielo name, though more is certain to come. In addition to other musical endeavors, her music as Annalia has had a myriad of film/television placements. Multiple of her songs have been featured on the soundtracks and trailers of MTV, Netflix, Hulu, etc. Visit her website to read more on where you might have heard her music!
Written By Andy Mockbee
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