HOT TRACK | “Blue Lips” by Rebecca Lappa

Born in San Francisco and raised in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), Rebecca Lappa has been making music since she was a child. Not only a gifted singer, the songstress plays multiple instruments and was inspired to tackle her craft after seeing Taylor Swift opening for country legend Brad Paisley.

She tenaciously released six albums between 2011 and 2016 and was nominated five times for the Canadian Folk Music Awards, winning Young Performer of the Year in 2015. In 2019, Rebecca was nominated for three awards at Edmonton Music Awards and took home the award for Singer-Songwriter Recording of the Year.

Ahead of her May 2023 EP release, Tales of a Taurus on Tonic/Fontana, Rebecca has released the lead single, “Blue Lips”. Which she says this of the of the song,

Taking you into a world of frozen hearts and blinding snow, ‘Blue Lips’ is a uniquely Canadian story about a friends-with-benefits relationship, combining heartache and excitement together like fire and ice. The winter imagery throughout the song brings forward the harsh realities of a situation where one partner is hoping the relationship will turn into more than it is.

There are moments when Rebecca’s vocals give me Serena Ryder vibes, specifically from her Is It O.K. album. There’s a similar quiet, emotional, and longing to her voice that beckons the listener in. Her voice stands out against a field of cookie cutter pop vocals as has depth, emotion, and a power to her voice that a lot in the pop genre do not have.

Like Swift, who inspired her, Rebecca has crafted lyrics that will hit at the heart of the listener and have all singing along because we have all been in that “romantic with a hint of manic”’ relationship.

Watch the lyric video for “Blue Lips” below