Ellise Ends Her Year with Sinister, Dark Pop Release “Did it Hurt”
Words by Hannah Kozak / Photo by Christopher Tennant
Princess of dark pop Ellise is ending a huge year with the release of her newest single, “Did it Hurt,” on December 2nd. The singer, who has already gained the attention of Paper Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Nylon Magazine, began releasing music in 2018 and is only adding to her powerful and intriguing discography.
“Did it Hurt” begins with a slow introduction that sounds almost sinister. The instrumentals are low and soft with high harmonies behind the main vocal melody. Ellise later sings in the chorus, Didi it hurt when you fell from Heaven, just for me? While this may seem like a sweet compliment and a juxtaposition from the dark instrumentals, the line certainly implies more. She then goes on to call her lover the devil and says they stopped by her on their way to Hell, showing that the lover fell from Heaven because they did not belong there. Ellise continues to show the toxic aspects of the relationship despite the lust or connection she feels to her lover. She sings, what’s love without some hate? in the chorus, and later, If you told me jump right off of the ledge, I would / Follow you until the bitter end, for good.
"’Did It Hurt’ is a rare type of song for me,” began Ellise. “When you have a lot to say, it simultaneously makes the writing process messy and seamless. No amount of studio time or consistency can force raw emotion because when it's there, it's just there. I wrote Did It Hurt on the heels of a breakup with someone who's been extremely hard for me to let go of. That day, the words came out of me like vomit. I'm really proud of this song. The erratic switches between acoustic guitars and drum-heavy beat drops, along with the melancholic outro, is genuinely a sonic metaphor for the full spectrum of emotions a person can go through in such a short amount of time while dealing with losing someone they love."
Ellise fell in love with singing at a young age and has always put her passion and talent first. She attended the Oakland School Of The Arts before eventually dropping out to pursue music full time. She has accumulated millions of monthly Spotify listeners already, and her song “911” has over 99 million streams. “Did it Hurt” is the second single off a new project Ellise is releasing in 2023. Fans of Maggie Lindemann, Madison Beer, and Olivia O’Brien will fall in love with Ellise and, if “Did it Hurt” is any indication of how Ellise’s 2023 project will sound, her upcoming releases.
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