Paris Paloma is a singer-songwriter from the UK who has seen unexpected commercial success over the past year with ‘Labour’, a single that addresses sexism, specifically the “unpaid work” women do, such as child-rearing and housework. A viral challenge on TikTok, in which women used ‘Labour’ to expose their own experiences with sexism, took ‘Labour’ to number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.
The success of ‘Labour’ is fitting for a folk artist who defines her discourse around the concept of “being a woman” in today’s world. She speaks of the “female experience, of grief, of love, of death and of power” by drawing inspiration from figures from mythology or art history.
Born in Derbyshire 22 years ago, Paris Paloma released her first single, ‘Narcissus’, in 2020 and, since then, standout singles from her repertoire such as ‘It’s Called: Freefall’ or ‘the fruits’ have been paving the way for the release of her debut album, ‘Cacophony’, which is released next August. Seven of its 15 tracks are already known from ‘Cacophony’, including ‘Labour’.
Among the highlights of ‘Cacophony’ we must mention the beautiful ‘the warmth’, released this past weekend, ideal for fans of Laura Marling, Elsey or new folks of today, such as Lord Huron or Teddy Swims. Also of note is ‘boys, bugs and men’, today’s Song Of The Day.
‘Boys, Bugs and Men’ is an ideal gateway into the Paris Paloma universe due to its accessibility. It’s a folk-pop song that’s friendly and catchy on the surface, but its lyrics hide a dark heart. In ‘Boys, Bugs and Men’, Paloma travels back to her childhood – at the age of “five” – to tell a story of cruelty and abuse that follows her into adulthood. In those early years, a boy “enjoys turning off his light.” Later, those “children who discover their power for the first time” become equally cruel adults. ‘Boys, Bugs and Men’ transforms trauma into pop magic, and the poetic lyrics prove that Paris Paloma may be one of the best authors – poets – of the moment.
