Lily Forte belongs to a generation of artists for whom retro is already a kind of native language, not some sort of stylization at all. She’s in her early twenties, she grew up on her parents’ records (the surname Forte, by the way, is real—an almost too perfect coincidence for a musician), and her aesthetic has absorbed mid-century Hollywood glamour with the same ease that others absorb TikTok trends.

Carole King, Amy Winehouse, that entire pantheon of women who knew how to transform personal pain into universal anthems—Forte studied them as contemporaries separated only by time.

“Out of the Blue” is the second single from her debut album, scheduled for January 2026, and judging by these two tracks, Forte is interested in a specific task: how to make pop sound genuinely engaging. The production here is deliberately calibrated, each instrument taking its place with almost military precision, creating a sense of controlled fury. This is that rare case when the arrangement itself becomes an act of revenge.

Her vocal is languid, somewhat theatrical, and a line like “Are you crying out my name while I’m crying over you?”—a rhetorical question that’s actually a statement. Forte writes with that specific cruelty that comes only to people who know their audience too well—she knows for certain that her ex will hear this song, and every line is calculated for maximum impact.

The music video continues this game of straightforwardness, literally staging the breakup scene by scene. There’s a comedic element here—Forte is smart enough to understand: taking your own drama too seriously turns you into a caricature. She allows herself irony, letting the viewer into that part of the process where shock borders on absurdity. This makes the song more alive, more human—you hear a real girl, genuinely upset, but at the same time aware of the theatricality of the moment.

Comparisons with Lana Del Rey, Alexandra Savior, Lady Gaga—they’re all valid to exactly the extent that any comparison of a female artist with other female artists is valid. Yes, there are common points of contact: melodrama, vintage references, vocal delivery. However, Forte feels less conceptual than Del Rey, more honest than Savior, and definitely less inclined toward extremes than Gaga. Her territory is the space between these poles, a place where drama remains personal, and stylization serves to amplify emotion rather than eclipse it.

“Out of the Blue” is mature, focused work, and the track’s main achievement is that it makes you anticipate the album. And for a single, that’s perhaps the highest compliment.

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