Over the past year, Chicago-based singer-songwriter Tatiana Hazel has demonstrated a remarkable knack for spinning thorny subjects into bubbly pop earworms. Whether she’s coursing the turbulent waters of mental health on neo-soul number “Losing My Mind” or experiencing a post-breakup sugar rush on “No Me Encuentras,” Tatiana has developed a distinct formula for dissecting her anxieties with honesty and humor.
Take the bold opening proclamation of her new single “Knew You Would,” premiering today on Remezcla. “I wasted all this time trying to be someone you might like,” she sings over deliciously retro synth stabs, “and I lost myself the moment I met you.” You wouldn’t guess “Knew You Would” is sunny synth pop gold by the lyrics alone, though at its core the song centers the cheeky self-reflection we’ve come to expect from the stylish Chicagoan.
Over email, Tatiana tells Remezcla that the song “is about trying to be something I’m not in order to please someone else and realizing that it’s unhealthy behavior.” She adds, “Even though being apart from someone you love can hurt, sometimes it’s what you need in order to have a healthy relationship.”
Sonically, the track trades the DIY charm of previous releases for more robust production, featuring shimmery synths and a rainbow of percussive effects. “Knew You Would” also showcases Tatiana’s love of Spanglish, a natural extension of her bilingual upbringing. “In my household growing up,” she writes, “I would switch between Spanish and English so often when speaking to my family that it kind of feels familiar to write that way now.”
“Knew You Would” comes ahead of TOXIC, a seven-track EP that explores the ups and downs of toxic relationships. “I titled the EP TOXIC,” she says, “because when artists drop projects it’s called ‘releasing music,’ so I wanted to ‘release TOXIC,‘ aka release the toxic elements of my life by venting about it in my music.”
Tatiana Hazel’s TOXIC is out July 27.