Estella Dawn – “Pretty” is spiked with honesty, empathy, and self-empowerment

Written by Staff on 15 September 2021

You’d never want to reduce Estella Dawn’s music strictly to formulas, but the strength of her releases tend to have a pretty strong correlation to three factors: the amount of affecting emotion she puts into her performances, the amount of songwriting skill loaded into each track, and the amount the of refined vocal prowess she harnesses in her voice. Now, put those three elements together with sublimely produced music, and the resulting equation delivers pure platinum quality sounding records. Such is the case with her latest single release, “Pretty”, which Estella describes as a song that “has nothing to do with aesthetics. Being attractive, is in my opinion the least interesting thing about a person, but feeling confident, comfortable and empowered in your body, is important. To me that is true beauty.”

Estella Dawn is an immensely talented and highly focused New Zealand-born, US-based songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. As a working musician, she writes and records her vocals and piano as well as co-produces all aspects of her music.

On “Pretty” Estella fully embraces the attitude of being an inspirational figure, not only to women and girls, but to any of us caught up in the dilemma of feeling “small and inadequate”, especially in the era of social media where hyped-up physical and lifestyle perfection, is flaunted as the norm.

Estella Dawn lets her emotional flag fly on “Pretty”, indulging in a stream of consciousness that feels like real talk, unfiltered in its vulnerability and confessional lyricism: “Stuck some wings on with sellotape. Won’t be long before they break. Self-sabotage is what I do. Honey I’ve been low enough. To kiss the stars beneath us. So can I borrow a kind word or two.”

Estella also confirms how important it is to have someone to lean on when you’re feeling down: “You know I’ve never been very good at Building myself up like I should have. So here I am at your door. You call me pretty. Falling from your lips. I can’t get enough of it. Pretty.”

“Pretty” is a deeply accessible, piano-driven, mid-tempo ballad, produced well-above industry standards, and spiked with honesty, empathy, and self-empowerment.

Estella Dawn’s intense commitment to letting herself exist inside the song – vulnerabilities and all – allows the once New Zealand’s Got Talent star, to hover above most of pop music’s current would-be queens. Contributing to the soulfulness, and overall ear-warming catchiness of the melody, on “Pretty”, is its crowning achievement – Estella’s captivating, high-flying vocals.

Estella Dawn’s vocal cords amplify the infectious, irresistible ear candy that is “Pretty”. Estella never overindulges, maintaining poise as she sings, and when necessary she soars beyond the impossible.

The reflective tone of the record is often its selling point, but the gorgeous vocals provides its excellence. Estella is inspiring and utterly uplifting throughout, particularly the thoughtful chorus, which later adds additional vocal layers, further amplifying the song’s brilliance.

All in all, Estella Dawn delivers the goods – lyrically, musically and vocally on “Pretty”. With 13 singles released since early 2020, she’s a prime example of consistency at its best. She works particularly well within a balladry musical setting, and here the results are nothing short of marvelous.

Most of all, her voice is amazing. Estella will soon be releasing another single entitled “Cotton Candy”, and is in the studio completing work on her debut full-length album, recorded in a Denver studio with a live band.