Bailey Spinn is a skyrocketing force of nature in the alt pop-rock world with over 20 million followers across social platforms. Her relatable, honest songwriting and edgy aesthetic recently earned her a spot on People magazine’s Emerging Artists to Watch. She is currently signed to global label AWAL and represented by Sound Talent Group. This past March, she released her highly anticipated debut album, loser, marking a bold new chapter in her career.
Today, Bailey is back at it with her new single “critical” — a striking pivot for her — one that feels like a younger, sharpened echo of early-2000s female-led rock (hello, Evanescence), but funneled through her own modern lens. “critical” was co-written and produced with Erik Ron, who has worked with heavier sounding artists such as Black Veil Brides.
I definitely have a few influences that inspired me to go heavier such as Evanescence, Poppy, and Bad Omens. I’m a huge fan of Evanescence for their powerful vocals and enchanting melodies. Amy Lee is one of my favorite vocalists of all time. I wanted to channel some of their earlier work like ‘Fallen’ from 2003 with a modern twist. I love the intensity of hard rock and metal music, but also the contrast between having a beautiful vocal on something so dark. I am also influenced by the early work of Flyleaf and Paramore, they’ve always been inspirations to me while creating new music. — BAILEY SPINN
This heavier, darker move is without a doubt, an evolution for Bailey. From the start, the track leans much heavier than anything she’s released before. Anchored by heavy guitar riffs, “critical” is an instant headbanger with a dark, moody edge. Bailey contrasts that weight with verses that are a bit more delicate. Delivered almost angelically, she creates this haunting push-and-pull feel that immediately pulls you deeper into the track’s atmosphere. As “critical” builds, Bailey’s voice grows in power, lifting through the pre-chorus before rolling into an explosive chorus that hits with full force.
The song feels emotional and dramatic, yet confidently bold without ever losing the polish of her strong vocals. Lyrically, the song rings a bell of familiarity for us all to some degree or another. Bailey fills us on more on the depth of “critical” and what she hopes listeners take away from their first listen:
I hope listeners can resonate with the feeling of being trapped in your own life and wanting to move on before you’re stuck forever. This track is the heaviest song on my catalogue to date, so I also hope it can encourage fans to keep exploring their interests and to fight the fears of trying something new. I hope “critical” inspires listeners to make a change in their lives as no one can push you but yourself.
Bailey continues to tell us about the origin of the song, walking us through how “critical” came to life. From its earliest spark to its final powerhouse product, she shares insight into the initial concept, the writing process, how the heavier direction began to take shape — and finally, how that energy evolved once in the studio:
I wrote “critical” after many of my days had started feeling exactly the same, and I was wishing I could escape from the loop. I was stuck in the exact same place wanting things to change, but they never did. From there, I channeled those feelings into my writing and started with the idea of being half awake. Erik and I built up the story and dramatics from there. Overall, “critical” is about feeling trapped in your own mind, and hoping for a light one day to change everything.
With the release of “critical,” Bailey has crafted a single that feels both nostalgic to the millennial crowd, yet entirely new to the younger generation of her fanbase — an electrified reintroduction that solidifies she’s only getting started on this new path:
We are definitely entering a new era of heavier, dark tunes! I can’t wait to share more music with everyone and fans can definitely look forward to more singles, then a larger project! I’ll hopefully be back on tour soon as well!