A Timeless Tune I Demand You Listen To: Isabel Maria – ‘Holy Smokes!’ Review

Words: Ruby Corrigan

Up and Coming Sunderland singer Isabel Maria is back with her single ‘Holy Smokes!’ and it is a MUST listen. 

‘Holy Smokes!’ is best described as a ‘sad girl anthem’, a quietly passionate and evocative ballad that perfectly encapsulates what it is like to have feelings for a person and realise that they do not value you properly. A particularly poignant lyric comes in the chorus, where she sings ‘ I’m usually a careful driver, but holy smokes you’re a car crash’. The use of metaphor is extremely effective, as not only does it cleverly describe the situation in a highly visual manner, but it also ties in perfectly with Isabel Maria’s musical style, which is both emotional and tender, but also witty and whimsical. 

A real highlight of this song has to be the musical progression throughout, that makes the entire song feel like a journey. Opening softly with minimal instruments and gentle vocals, ‘Holy Smokes!’ appears to be a gentle song encapsulating the sadness of finding out someone’s true colours. Yet, as the song progresses and the lyrics become more fierce, the music slowly builds in the background, culminating in the final chorus of the tune being full of passion and quite frankly, rage. This is exacerbated by the beautiful layered harmonies on the singer’s voice that both sound extremely satisfying to the ears, but also further lend themselves to the overall dynamics that have graduated throughout the tune, furthering the notion that the song is more like a story, and our protagonist (Isabel Maria) has finally gathered up the courage to stand up for herself. 

Isabel Maria is without a doubt one of the most talented artists I’ve heard this year, and ‘Holy Smokes!’, a beautifully timeless song that is both technically immaculate as well as evocative, deserves to be heard.

Stream it here below!